Cyber threats and stalking are tools used by some people to harass others, and a victim of this form of criminal activity resides in Fishers.  The United States Attorney’s office in Indianapolis announced federal charges have been filed against Shamonique Ferguson, 21, from North Carolina, for extortionate communication, mail threats, and interstate stalking between December of 2016 and April of 2017..

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Josh Winkler, outlines in a news release how Ferguson allegedly made false police reports to the home of a Fishers family and threats were made to the employer of one of the family members.

According to the release from Minkler’s office, three Indiana University campuses and Ivy Tech were also victimized by these threats.

U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov, who is prosecuting the case for the government, says if convicted, Ferguson faces up to 5 years of imprisonment for each count charged.

“We live in times where the Internet, cell phones, and social media allow for unlimited communication with friends, family, and even complete strangers. Sadly, we also live in times where people abuse that privilege, turning a text message, a webpage, or a keyboard into an instrument of fear by instantaneously transmitting anonymous threats,” said Minkler. “Faced with the risk of large scale violence, universities, businesses, and individuals cannot simply disregard threats.”

Fishers Police were involved in this investigation, along with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Indiana State Police.

Here is how the U.S. Attorney’s Office described what happened:

According to the criminal complaint, Ferguson harassed her victim prior to December of 2016; however, beginning in 2017, the behavior escalated. Ferguson delivered threats to Indiana University, alleging that the victim was planning mass acts of physical violence on several of its campuses. Ferguson posted threats to send a pipe bomb to the victim’s residence and to commit violent acts at the victim’s then place of employment, a family entertainment center in Fishers, IN. Ferguson also mailed various items to the victim and her family, including an item that contained bodily waste and threats to kill the victim. Over a period of less than 4 months, Fishers police, fire, and ambulance services responded to the victim’s residence on more than 20 false reports made by Ferguson. Because many of the calls were recorded, a Fishers Police Department detective was able to recognize Ferguson’s voice as the false reporter. Facebook records for Ferguson showed that she enlisted others to make false reports against the victim as well.