Richter Sentenced to 24 Months for Threatening Former Professor

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Daniel Richter, a 42-year-old man from Boulder, CO, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in prison for his relentless campaign of terror against his former professor at the University of Buffalo.

According to U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., Richter was convicted of interstate communication of threat to injure. The harassment began in 2002 when Richter was a student in a class taught by the victim, who subsequently moved out of the Western District of New York.

In 2007, the defendant escalated his attacks by sending bizarre postcards and leaving harassing voice-mails on the victim’s work phone. Richter’s behavior led to an arrest and charge of Stalking in the Fourth Degree in 2008, for which he was fined and issued a protective order.

On October 18, 2018, the harassment resumed with Richter sending packages containing handwritten letters, articles, and DVDs to his victim. His relentless calls and messages only intensified, culminating in a warrant for Stalking in the Third Degree. On November 29, 2018, authorities found him after receiving reports of a suspicious man acting strangely.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan A. Tokash handled the case, and Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office was also instrumental in the arrest and sentencing process.

The grim saga of Daniel Richter serves as a stark reminder of the long-term impact of harassment on victims, and the commitment of law enforcement to protect them from such terror.