Willie Dennis, Ex-Law Partner, Arrested for Cyberstalking Colleagues

Willie Dennis, 59, of New York, New York, is behind bars after federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing him of a relentless cyberstalking campaign against multiple partners at his former national law firm. The charges, filed in Manhattan federal court, detail a years-long barrage of harassment that included thousands of threatening emails and text messages aimed at colleagues he targeted from 2018 through November 2020.

Dennis, once a trusted partner at the prominent firm, allegedly turned his legal acumen into a weapon, using digital communication to intimidate and threaten former coworkers. According to the indictment, the harassment escalated over time, creating an atmosphere of fear and distress among the victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York described the conduct as a calculated campaign of psychological terror masked by the veneer of professional correspondence.

Arrested this week in the Dominican Republic, Dennis was taken into custody by local authorities before being handed over to U.S. officials. He appeared today in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Lorna G. Schofield, who will oversee the proceedings moving forward.

Dennis now faces four counts of cyberstalking, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison under Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A(2)(b). While the statutory maximums are set by Congress, actual sentencing will be determined by the presiding judge if Dennis is convicted. Federal prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations, and Dennis is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The FBI’s New York Field Office led the investigation, with Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll commending agents for their dogged pursuit of evidence across digital platforms and international borders. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called the case a stark reminder that no profession is immune to abuse, and that federal law enforcement will act when intimidation crosses into criminal territory.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit, with Assistant United States Attorney Sarah L. Kushner leading the case. As the legal process unfolds, the indictment stands as a chilling account of how power, resentment, and technology converged in the hands of a man once sworn to uphold the law.