INDIANAPOLIS – Patrick Kearney, 41, of Glenview, Illinois, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of stalking, one count of transmitting threats via interstate commerce, and two counts of making harassing telephone calls.
According to court documents, beginning in September of 2019, and continuing through October 4, 2022, Patrick Kearney engaged in a targeted campaign of stalking, intimidation, and harassment directed towards Victims 1 and 2.
Kearney met Victim 1 in the early 2000s, when they both attended the same university. Kearney pursued a relationship with Victim 1 by trying to walk with her after class, meeting her at her dorm, calling the dorm phone, and leaving mail at her dorm mailbox. Victim 1 did not reciprocate interest in a relationship with Kearney. Victim 1 graduated from college, married her husband, Victim 2, and had not seen Kearney since.
In September of 2019, Kearney began sending Victim 1 anonymous handwritten letters to her home in Indiana, mostly stating that Victim 1 should have died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The letters typically included pictures or drawings of the World Trade Center burning. Kearney sent approximately 23 handwritten letters to Victim 1 between September of 2019 and September of 2022, all including similar abusive language and most referencing September 11, 2001.
As the victims were planning their wedding in 2022, they created a website that included wedding registry information. Kearney began leaving voicemails for Victims 1 and 2 impersonating customer service representatives from Crate & Barrel and Target and threatened to show up at the wedding and ruin it.
Between October of 2019 and September of 2022, Kearney placed approximately 357 phone calls to Victim 1’s cell phone and left over 120 voicemails. Between May of 2022 and August of 2022, Kearney placed approximately 47 phone calls to Victim 2’s cell phone and left at least 35 voicemails.
“This serious federal prison sentence is an appropriate consequence for the defendant’s years’ long campaign of cruel threats and harassment. He chose to terrorize an innocent couple and rob them of safety and peace—driven by his toxic mix of entitlement and resentment,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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