SEATTLE – A 33-year-old Seattle man, Sumit Garg, formerly a privacy consultant, was sentenced yesterday to 9 years in federal prison for a chilling and relentless campaign of cyberstalking. Garg was convicted of conspiracy to engage in cyberstalking, three counts of cyberstalking in violation of a criminal order, and three counts of cyberstalking. He’d been locked up at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since his indictment in March 2021.
The case, as detailed at trial, reveals a pattern of obsessive harassment that began in 2020, targeting a woman who once shared an apartment with Garg’s wife. Garg weaponized personal information obtained after moving into the shared residence, launching a torrent of threats and sexually explicit messaging. When the victim reported the harassment to Seattle police, Garg and his wife attempted a brazen move – filing false reports claiming they were the victims, attempting to turn the tables and discredit the actual target.
But the scope of Garg’s malice didn’t stop there. He extended his threats to anyone connected to the former roommate: her uncle, who represented her in securing a civil protection order; her boyfriend; the Seattle Police detective investigating the threats; and even the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney assigned to his stalking case. Utilizing his technical skills, Garg actively masked his digital footprint, creating scores of email accounts to bombard victims with thousands of messages. The harassment escalated, growing increasingly violent with gruesome threats of rape, torture, and death.
Investigators uncovered disturbing evidence of Garg’s attempts to further terrorize his victim. He was videotaped loitering in the lobby of her new apartment building, coinciding with the sending of photos of the location – a clear effort to instill fear. In a desperate attempt to continue the harassment even from jail, Garg instructed his wife to send harassing emails to herself and others, fabricating the appearance of a continuing campaign by an unknown perpetrator. He even demanded she destroy clothing he wore during the apartment building surveillance, hoping to eliminate evidence.
While his wife initially complied, she ultimately cooperated with investigators, testifying that she only felt safe to tell the truth once Garg was facing federal charges. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman emphasized the unprecedented nature of Garg’s actions, stating, “The cyberstalking activities of this defendant are unparalleled in this District and indeed nationwide…Court orders and jail time did not stop him.” Judge John C. Coughenour, delivering the sentence, acknowledged the limitations of the court’s ability to provide lasting protection to the victims.
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson hailed the sentence as a victory for justice. “Justice was served today,” Peterson said. “The U.S. Secret Service is satisfied with the outcome of this case…a culmination of the work of motivated agents and analysts, applying their skillsets and tools to bring an end to an unprecedented cyberstalking campaign.” While 9 years won’t erase the trauma, it will, officials hope, finally bring an end to Sumit Garg’s reign of terror and offer some measure of closure to his victims.
Related Federal Cases
- Jonathan Trayes, Cyberstalking, Maine, 2023 · Maine
- Juan R. McCullum, Cyberstalking with Nude Image Exploitation, DC 2024 · District of Columbia
- Michael A. Hagar, Cyberstalking and Interstate Threats, OR 2023 · Oregon
- Jeffrey Colin Purdy, Cyberstalking, MN 2017 · New Hampshire
- Gabryele Watson, Cyberstalking, Georgia 2024 · Tennessee
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Press Release
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