A 58-year-old Wallkill man is facing multiple criminal charges after investigators say he spent roughly seven years stalking and harassing victims in the Warwick area, using disguised phone numbers and sexually explicit images to torment them. Patrick V. Panaro was arrested following a joint investigation into the alleged campaign, which police say involved threats of bodily harm and technology designed to hide his identity from the people he targeted.
According to Daily Voice, Panaro sent sexually explicit photographs and references to victims and made threats of bodily harm, per police. Investigators say he used online platforms and techniques to conceal or disguise phone numbers, and according to investigators, he relied on blocked incoming numbers along with fake numbers displayed on victims' caller ID systems to avoid detection. The alleged conduct spanned approximately seven years and touched multiple victims, police say.
Search Warrant Executed, Four Charges Filed
Law enforcement authorities obtained and executed a search warrant at Panaro's residence as part of the investigation. He was ultimately charged with second-degree harassment, second-degree aggravated harassment, fourth-degree stalking, and third-degree stalking — a combination of charges that spans the spectrum of New York's harassment and stalking statutes.
The most serious of the four, third-degree stalking under New York Penal Law § 120.50, is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail. The charge applies when a person intentionally engages in a course of conduct directed at three or more people or causes reasonable fear of physical injury. Second-degree aggravated harassment, also a Class A misdemeanor under state law, criminalizes telephone, electronic, or written communications made with intent to harass or alarm, including threats of physical harm, and is punishable by up to a year in jail and fines as high as $1,000.
Fourth-degree stalking, a Class B misdemeanor explained by DM Claw NY, covers intentional courses of conduct that cause reasonable fear of material harm to a person's health, safety, or property, and carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail. The least severe count, second-degree harassment, is classified as a non-criminal violation rather than a misdemeanor under state law and applies to acts committed with intent to harass or alarm that lack a legitimate purpose, carrying a maximum of 15 days in jail.
Caller ID Spoofing Carries Its Own Federal Penalties
The alleged use of disguised and spoofed phone numbers also brushes up against federal law. The Federal Communications Commission enforces the Truth in Caller ID Act, which prohibits transmitting misleading caller ID information with intent to defraud or cause harm and imposes civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The law specifically targets the kind of caller ID spoofing techniques investigators say Panaro used to disguise his originating phone numbers.
Panaro was arraigned in Middletown City Court and released with instructions to appear later in Town of Warwick Court. That arrangement reflects a routine step in Orange County's judicial process: initial proceedings for criminal cases frequently take place in municipal city courts like Middletown for arraignment before shifting to local town courts such as Warwick for trial or further disposition, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Five Agencies Joined the Multi-Year Investigation
Building a case spanning roughly seven years of disguised calls and digital harassment required substantial coordination. Five separate law enforcement agencies worked the investigation: the Town of Warwick Police Department, the Town of Goshen Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police, and the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
That kind of digital trail is increasingly common in stalking cases nationwide. Data compiled by the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center, cited by the Domestic Violence Services Network, indicates that 80% of stalking victims report being stalked through technology, including disguised calls, digital communications, and online tracking. National research reviewed by public health and justice organizations, compiled by Jana's Campaign, estimates that roughly 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men experience stalking in their lifetimes, with about a quarter of victims facing cyberstalking tactics specifically.
The investigation into Panaro remains active, according to police, and investigators say there may be more victims than those already identified. The Town of Warwick Police Department and New York State Police have issued a public appeal urging anyone who suspects they were targeted by Panaro during the seven-year period to come forward and contact investigators.
