Howard Bishop engaged in an endless pattern of abusive and
threatening behavior toward a former girlfriend and her family, causing the
woman to be taken into protective custody
PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Smithfield, R.I., man who
repeatedly sent emails and text messages to a former girlfriend threatening, in
specific and horrifying detail, to harm or kill her and her family was
sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison on cyberstalking charges,
announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Harold H. Shaw,
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
Howard S. Bishop, 39, was arrested in Rhode Island by FBI
agents in January 2018, approximately four months after relocating from Texas
to his family’s home in North Smithfield.
The threats from Bishop against his former girlfriend in
Texas, and her family, were so severe that the woman was placed in FBI
protective custody until Bishop was arrested. Her family hired around-the-clock
armed security to guard their home.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E.
Smith also ordered Bishop to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion
of his term of incarceration. Bishop pleaded guilty in May to transmitting in
interstate commerce communications containing threats to injure another person,
and with harassing or intimidating another person, using an interactive
computer service or electronic communication service, that placed a person in
reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury and caused substantial
emotional distress.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this
matter is 33 – 41 months. The government recommended the Court impose a
sentence of 41 months in prison.
According to court records, in February 2011, a former
girlfriend of Bishop obtained a protective order against him in Travis County,
TX, after their relationship ended. After the relationship ended, Bishop
engaged in an endless pattern of abusive and threatening behavior towards the
woman. In January 2012, Bishop was found guilty of violating the order and
received a sentence of two years’ probation. In December 2017, a misdemeanor
warrant was issued in Travis County for the arrest of Bishop for again
violating the protective order.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2016,
and continuing until his arrest in Rhode Island in January 2018, Bishop sent
hundreds of harassing and threatening messages via the Internet to the former
girlfriend and her family. They expressed extreme fear for their safety.
Bishop has been detained in federal custody since his
arrest.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H.
Vilker.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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