A Durham man is facing charges of cyberstalking multiple members of the LGBTQ+ community, following an indictment by a federal grand jury, which alleged that his harassment campaign spanned from 2016 through the current year. David Ryan Winters, 38, is accused of sending threatening electronic and text messages to his victims and their acquaintances, targeting them based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the indictment, Winters could serve up to a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted on all counts; the case marks yet another effort by the Civil Rights Team of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to clamp down on violations involving civil rights, such as cyberstalking. The team, established in 2022 by U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, has added two new dedicated civil rights prosecutors this past year and continued to pursue several similar cases.
Earlier this month, "Everybody has an equal right to live, work, worship, and love in America," U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. said in a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, condemning the hate-driven actions and threats of individuals like Winters, "We won’t tolerate those who threaten, stalk, or use violence just because they don’t like how somebody else lives. Everybody is treated equally and fairly under the law and we won’t normalize violence and intimidation."
With the threat of cyberstalking ever-prevalent, authorities encourage anyone affected by such crimes to reach out to local law enforcement or the FBI, the recent cases in North Carolina brought to light by the efforts of the Raleigh and Durham Police Departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation emphasize the diligence of law enforcement in upholding civil rights, Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel is the prosecutor handling these cases. While an indictment is not the equivalent of a conviction, and the defendant remains innocent until proven guilty, the announcement by Michael F. Easley, Jr. serves a reminder of the ongoing battle against discrimination and terror in the cyber realm.
