Herndon Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Herndon man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking a victim in New York.

According to court documents, Brandon Theresa, 21, engaged in an extensive cyberstalking campaign against a victim from at least May 2015 through December 2018. During that time, he accessed the victim’s online accounts without the victim’s permission and periodically impersonated the victim and the victim’s friends to gain information about the victim’s comings and goings. As part of that conduct, Theresa established U.S. Postal Service Informed Delivery accounts, which provide detailed information about the mail received at a particular address, using the personal information of the victim and the victim’s friends and family member in order to further place the victim under surveillance.

Theresa pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on July 26. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Michael Ray, Inspector in Charge of Analytics/Cyber Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Fong is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-118.