A Canadian man is facing federal stalking charges after prosecutors say he pursued a former coworker across state and international lines for years, culminating in a masked encounter outside her Dallas apartment and his eventual arrest on an Amtrak train. Nikolay Sapov was indicted on two federal stalking counts, one tied to interstate travel and one tied to electronic communications, according to court filings cited by WFAA.
A Miami Open Connection Turns Into Years of Unwanted Contact
According to WFAA, Sapov and the victim first crossed paths while both worked seasonally at the Miami Open tennis tournament. Court filings allege that in the years after, Sapov repeatedly contacted the victim outside of work hours, tracked down her personal and family social media profiles, and sent unwanted gifts and correspondence to her home, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Star-Telegram reports the pair's work at the tournament began in 2021.
Authorities say the pattern escalated beyond messages. The station's report says Sapov traveled to two locations in Florida — Orlando and Plantation, per the Star-Telegram — to stalk the victim in 2023 and 2025. Investigators allege he later traveled from Toronto to the victim's apartment complex in Dallas, where the case reached its most alarming point.
A Masked Figure Caught on a Doorbell Camera
On June 22, 2026, the victim observed Sapov loitering near her apartment building, prompting local law enforcement and property security to issue him a criminal trespass warning, per the same account. Two days later, on June 24, 2026, a neighbor's video doorbell captured an individual matching Sapov's physical build, clothing, and footwear approaching the victim's door while wearing a full-face rubber mask. Federal authorities say the individual fled after being confronted through the doorbell camera, according to the Star-Telegram.
Court documents cited by the Star-Telegram state that, out of fear for her safety, the victim lived in a hotel for two weeks and purchased a firearm. The same unwanted contact reportedly continued electronically: authorities say Sapov continued sending unwanted electronic messages to the victim through August 2026, including an AI-generated image depicting the victim posing alongside him, per WFAA's reporting.
Arrested Crossing the Border by Train
On Aug. 22, Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Sapov on a Texas stalking warrant while he was traveling by Amtrak train from Canada into the United States, authorities said. Following his arrest, law enforcement recovered two cellular devices containing maps and street names surrounding the victim's neighborhood, and separate reporting from the Star-Telegram states that electronic equipment recovered also contained locksmith-company screenshots and explicit AI-generated photos of the victim.
The FBI's Dallas Field Office investigated the case with substantial assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Dallas Police Department, and the Tyler Police Department. FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock said stalking and targeted harassment can profoundly disrupt victims' lives and leave them feeling vulnerable, according to the Star-Telegram.
Potential Penalties and Prosecutors' Message
If convicted, Sapov faces a maximum of five years in prison for each of the two stalking counts, followed by supervised release, per the Star-Telegram's reporting. Under 18 U.S. Code § 2261A, federal stalking statutes cover conduct involving interstate travel or electronic communications intended to harass or place a person in fear.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said no individual has the right to terrorize another human being or shatter their sense of safety inside their own home, according to the Star-Telegram's account of the case. The indictment lays out the government's allegations, which have not been proven in court.
