The Defendant Sent Hundreds of Harassing and Threatening
Texts to a Woman in Maryland
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Late yesterday, U.S. District Judge
Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Charles Timothy Browne, 57, of Statesville, N.C., to
43 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for cyberstalking a
woman residing in Maryland, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the
Western District of North Carolina.
John A Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North
Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to information in filed court documents and the
sentencing hearing, in December 2017, and January 2018, Browne sent a Maryland
woman approximately 731 harassing and intimidating texts including, “I like my
new gun,” “Now your gonna feel some pain,” and “Lock your door.” Court records
show that Browne also texted a mutual friend that he was going to shoot the
woman in the face. Browne’s repeated
texting caused the Maryland woman substantial emotional distress and to fear
that he would kill or seriously injure her.
On February 3, 3030, Browne pleaded guilty to cyberstalking.
At yesterday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Bell enhanced Browne’s sentence
because, at the time he sent the harassing and intimidating texts to the
Maryland woman, a judge-issued protective order was in effect that prohibited
him from abusing, threatening to abuse, harassing and/or contacting her. Between 2004 and 2017, Browne had been
subject to six protective orders.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray commended
the FBI for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani M. Ford, of the
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
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