A South Carolina couple is headed to federal prison after a brutal cyberstalking and extortion scheme that targeted 27-year-old Christopher Tsoulos, a Charlotte man with an intellectual disability, and helped drive him to suicide. On Thursday in federal court in Charlotte, Trysten Anthony Cullon was sentenced to 41 months in prison and Jade Ashlynn Stone received 27 months. Both were ordered to pay $26,699.65 in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release. The pair had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Charlotte, Cullon and Stone launched the campaign over several days in September 2024, using an unlocked phone to get into Tsoulos' financial apps. From there, they sent a barrage of extortive and threatening messages to his family, demanding money and leveraging false allegations. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson called the case "heartbreaking," adding there "was not a dry eye in the courtroom at sentencing."
How the Scheme Worked
Court records show the harassment unfolded from Sept. 5 to Sept. 8, 2024, after Cullon encountered Tsoulos at his fast-food job and got hold of his unlocked phone. The couple then tried to move money out of his accounts and began firing off menacing texts to his relatives, threatening to spread damaging and untrue accusations to his employer if they did not pay up. As reported by WRHI, prosecutors say the emotional distress caused by the threats and extortion led to Tsoulos' suicide.
Courtroom Reaction and Sentence
U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. did not mince words, calling it "a particularly egregious version of this crime, resulting in a victim killing themselves," according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Cullon and Stone remain in federal custody and will be transferred to the Bureau of Prisons once a facility is designated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley prosecuted the case for the government.
Investigation and Context
The investigation was led by the FBI's Charlotte Division with help from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, local reporting shows. Prosecutors said the defendants were driven in part by drug addiction, a detail that adds a grim layer to an already disturbing case. Grand jury indictment in December 2024 coverage previously outlined the same pattern of stolen funds, Cash App and PayPal transfers, and extortionate messages. Authorities say the case highlights growing federal attention on online schemes that prey on people with disabilities and other vulnerable adults.
