A Seattle man has been handed a nine-year prison sentence after a relentless campaign of cyberstalking that targeted a former roommate and spiraled to involve multiple others, including law enforcement and legal professionals. Sumit Garg, 33, a former privacy consultant, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle for charges that included conspiracy to engage in cyberstalking and multiple counts of cyberstalking in violation of a criminal order, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Garg, who was indicted back in March 2021, has since been held at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.
During the sentencing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour expressed regret at the limitations of protective measures for the victims, stating, "I can’t give you the level of protection for the length of time that you deserve…I can’t give you blanket protection for 30-40 years." The harrowing details of Garg's actions paint a picture of a calculated cyberstalking operation that escalated over time. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he utilized his computer expertise to threaten and harass individuals through thousands of emails and texts, often making it appear as if his victims were the perpetrators.
The scope of the harassment was extensive, involving direct threats of violence and sexually explicit communications. Garg's efforts to conceal his identity included setting up numerous email accounts specifically for stalking purposes. His campaign grew in viciousness, with threats becoming increasingly violent and graphic, eventually incorporating threats of rape, torture, and death. The cyberstalker's wife was also implicated, having been instructed by Garg to send harassing emails to masquerade as another harasser, a maneuver she later ceased before cooperating with investigators, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors highlighted the disturbing nature of Garg's indifference to the suffering of his victims during the trial. They conveyed, "While Garg appears to have delighted in his victims’ suffering, he appears to be utterly incapable of empathizing with others. With an apparently insatiable desire to even the score, Garg took a simple rent dispute between roommates, and escalated it into a massive cyberstalking campaign against an ever-growing number of victims, making grotesque and violent threats that are almost impossible to fathom." Victims' testimonies at the sentencing reflected the deep psychological impact and loss of normalcy and security endured throughout and following the ordeal, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman emphasized the unprecedented nature of this case in the district and nationwide, praising the sentence as a means of ensuring public safety. Garg's cyberstalking activities halted with federal detention, which according to U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson brought to end a protracted and unparalleled cyberstalking nightmare for the victims. The successful prosecution of this case was the result of concerted efforts by the United States Secret Service and the Seattle Police Department, alongside the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice.
