A federal judge recently sentenced David Ryan Winters, age 40, to three years in federal prison for cyberstalking. For almost a decade, Winters stalked, harassed and threatened gay men online in the Raleigh-Durham area. Winters pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Winters, who identifies as a gay man, became enraged at the gay community in Raleigh-Durham for perceived slights. Following a reported stint as a volunteer at the LGBT Center of Raleigh, which ended with staff requesting he leave because of reports of “inappropriate behavior, Winters began stalking gay men in 2016 online and in person, including by showing up at victims’ homes and sending them pictures of their residences.
Winters would discover victims’ personal information and send angry messages. He repeatedly threatened to kill specific victims and gay men generally, saying that he wanted to make national headlines and invoking the Pulse homicides from Florida.
Winters visited one victim’s workplace, shattered a window, and threw a metal trashcan on the victim’s car. Winters’s obsessive harassment campaign terrified many people, forcing them to move or take other self-protective measures.
“We believe in protecting all citizens who deserve to live their lives in peace. This antisocial behavior cannot fester without serious attention and prevention. Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners for taking this very seriously and putting this criminal behind bars.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.