Michael Chan, 34, of Bayside, New York, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cyberstalking a Cincinnati woman in a years-long campaign of digital terror that culminated in threats to attack her on the University of Cincinnati campus. The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, exposes how online connections can spiral into real-world fear and federal prosecution.
Chan met the victim in 2009 through online gaming. In 2012, he traveled from New York to Cincinnati and stayed at her residence for about a week. During that visit, she made clear they were only friends. Despite that boundary, Chan returned uninvited later that year, leaving handwritten notes throughout her home — the first escalation in a pattern of obsessive behavior.
After being blocked on phone and social media, Chan began sending anonymous texts and calls. The harassment intensified over the years with unwanted deliveries and subscriptions shipped to the victim’s home. By 2015, Chan began emailing Cincinnati news outlets, falsely claiming a man was driving from Canada to sexually assault and murder her. The lies were designed to amplify her terror and manipulate public perception.
The threats turned directly violent in 2017. Chan emailed local media and law enforcement, declaring he was coming to Cincinnati to attack the victim. In March 2017, he texted a local detective, stating, “I’m coming to pay a visit to the victim and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He followed up with threatening emails to University of Cincinnati officials through August of that year.
Chan was charged by federal criminal complaint in August 2017 and indicted by a grand jury the following September. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy L. Muncy, built a case that spanned digital forensics, cross-state travel, and coordinated threats. The FBI Cincinnati Division and University of Cincinnati Police conducted a joint investigation that dismantled Chan’s digital trail.
As part of a plea agreement, Chan faces a recommended sentence of 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott will determine the final sentence at a future hearing. U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman called the conduct “relentless and deeply disturbing,” commending the investigators who brought Chan to justice before he could carry out his threats.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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