Bad Break-up

Unless you married your high school sweetheart, we’ve all had a bad break-up. As you feel your world is crumbling around you most people, over-indulge in adult beverages or ice cream. Not this man. He wanted one thing—vengeance.

After the break-up with his long-time girlfriend, which seems safe to assume ‘she’ broke-up with him, he stole a truck and then used it to ram the vehicle his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend were in. One can only guess as to the outcome he hoped for.

Over the course of a few years—yes, years—he tried several illegal methods to terrorize his ex-girlfriend, eventually being indicted for many crimes.

At his first sentencing, a court found him guilty of conspiracy to transport stolen goods and unlawful transport of stolen goods. A judge sentenced him to two years in federal prison.

While in prison, he called his father—from a prison phone where conversations are always recorded—and asked him to destroy and dispose of some evidence. A month later, he wrote his father a letter requesting the same.

More than a year after his first trial, he went on trial again. A jury found him guilty on the following crimes:

• Interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle

• Stalking (two counts)

• Interstate domestic violence (two counts)

• Possession of unregistered destructive devices (pipe bombs) (two counts)

• Being a prohibited person in possession of explosives (two counts)

• Fraudulent use of a means of identification of another person

• Malicious use of explosives

• Possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence

• Carrying explosive materials during commission of a federal felony

• Tampering with a witness

• Obstruction of official proceedings

The scorned lover had to wait six more months to learn his sentence. At the sentencing, the United States Attorney said,

“[The ex-boyfriend] is a violent, dangerous stalker who, for years, subjected a good woman to his own personal reign of terror.”

The judge sentenced him to 50 years in federal prison. #badbreakup #scornedlover

Be sure to email me if you hear of a true-crime you think would be good in a book. I’ll research it, share it and possibly use it one of my novels.

If you are or anyone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Quad-City Times