ATLANTA (AP) - The Latest on the sentencing of a former U.S. State Department employee who pleaded guilty in a “sextortion” scheme (all times local):
12:50 p.m.
A judge has sentenced a former U.S. State Department employee to nearly five years in federal prison for sending threatening emails to young women from his computer at the U.S. Embassy in London.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross on Monday sentenced 36-year-old Michael C. Ford to serve four years and nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Ford pleaded guilty in December to nine counts of cyberstalking, seven counts of computer hacking to extort and one count of wire fraud.
Prosecutors say Ford accessed online accounts of young women to obtain sexually explicit images of them. Prosecutors say he then threatened to post the images online unless the women complied with his demands, including shooting videos of other women undressing.
___
4 a.m.
A judge is set to sentence a former U.S. State Department employee who admitted sending threatening emails to young women from his computer at the U.S. Embassy in London.
Thirty-six-year-old Michael C. Ford pleaded guilty in December to nine counts of cyberstalking, seven counts of computer hacking to extort and one count of wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for Monday.
Prosecutors say Ford accessed online accounts of young women to obtain sexually explicit images of them. Prosecutors say he then threatened to post the images online unless the women complied with his demands, including shooting videos of other women undressing.
Prosecutors are asking for eight years in prison.
Defense attorneys argue he quickly admitted his wrongdoing after his arrest in May and accepted responsibility and should have a lower sentence.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.
