A Las Vegas woman and a California state prison inmate are accused of turning social media messages into a multi-state sextortion and cyberstalking racket that prosecutors say squeezed more than $35,000 from a Washington state victim.
A federal grand jury in Fresno returned a two-count indictment charging 31-year-old Nicole Nowak of Las Vegas and 39-year-old D’Andre Davis, who is currently serving time in a California prison. According to the indictment, the pair threatened to release intimate images unless the victim kept paying. Nowak was ordered detained in mid-June, and Davis remains in custody at a Central Valley prison as the federal case moves toward trial.
Federal prosecutors say the grand jury charged both defendants with conspiracy to extort money by means of threatening communications and with stalking, and that Davis faces an additional standalone stalking count. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, the indictment was returned June 25 and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.
As detailed by Nevada Globe, prosecutors say the alleged scheme started in July 2021, when Davis began contacting the victim through Instagram and Facebook. While incarcerated, Davis allegedly relied on contraband cellphones along with prison telephone and messaging services to keep the pressure on, and investigators say Nowak joined the operation in May 2024.
Court filings cited by local reporting indicate that some alleged demands escalated into threats aimed at the victim’s family and business contacts. As reported by KLAS/8 News Now, an affidavit describes recorded threats and traces several calls and VoIP numbers back to Nowak in Las Vegas.
Investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Internal Affairs say they launched a joint forensic audit to follow the money and digital paper trail that prosecutors allege ties the pair together. Nevada Globe reports the victim transferred more than $35,000 before finally contacting federal authorities.
Penalties and next steps
On the conspiracy count, the indictment says each defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the additional stalking charge, Davis could face another five years.
"The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. Both defendants are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Fresno at a later date.
Why contraband phones matter
The case highlights a long-running concern for prison officials and investigators: contraband cellphones can give incarcerated people a back door to the outside world, including victims’ inboxes. Reporting by The Marshall Project has documented prior sextortion schemes that relied on smuggled smartphones, dating apps and VoIP services, and why investigators continue to push for tighter controls on illicit devices behind bars.
What victims can do
Federal officials advise anyone facing sextortion to immediately cut off contact, preserve messages and payment records, and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3, which outlines steps for keeping evidence and reporting losses. Victims are also urged to file a report with local law enforcement so investigators can collect records and trace transfers.
The investigation remains active, and prosecutors say they are continuing to follow payments and digital records as the case moves through federal court in Fresno. Local reporting by KLAS/8 News Now has highlighted additional affidavit details, while federal court filings remain the primary source for the indictment’s allegations.
