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ALBANY, NY – Shane Daley, 40, of Galway, New York, copped a plea today for a particularly vile form of grief exploitation. Daley admitted to unleashing a barrage of threatening and harassing voicemails on a family member of Brian Thompson, the UnitedHealthcare CEO gunned down in Manhattan last year.
Federal prosecutors say Daley’s campaign of terror started within hours of Thompson’s murder, between December 4th and 7th, 2024. He repeatedly called the family member’s work line, allegedly gloating over Thompson’s death, detailing how it happened, and – most disturbingly – wishing the same fate on Thompson’s children.
“This wasn’t just bad taste; it was a deliberate attempt to inflict maximum pain on a family already reeling from a brutal loss,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone. “Daley celebrated a cold-blooded murder and tried to pile on the suffering. We won’t stand for it.”
The feds are tight-lipped about the specifics of the voicemails, but sources confirm they were deeply disturbing. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton called Daley’s actions “reprehensible” and a clear violation of the line between free speech and outright threat.
Daley now faces sentencing. The exact penalty is unknown, but with federal cyberstalking charges, he’s looking at significant time. The case was a joint effort between the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Albany and Manhattan.
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