- A Deputy
US Marshal was indicted on conspiracy, cyberstalking, and perjury charges. - Prosecutors allege Ian Diaz created fake Craigslist posts to seem like he and his wife were in danger.
- The scheme led to a woman being falsely jailed for nearly three months, the DOJ said.
A deputy US marshal was indicted on Wednesday and charged with cyberstalking and lying to judges, which led to an innocent woman being jailed for nearly three months on bunk charges, the Department of Justice said.
Ian R. Diaz, 43, was indicted with one count of conspiracy, one count of cyberstalking, and one count of perjury.
According to Diaz's indictment, he and his former wife conspired to "harass and intimidate" a woman to "hide, conceal, and cover up" their scheme to frame her for crimes she never committed.
Prosecutors allege that Diaz and his former wife created several online accounts with false names to threaten and harass the unnamed victim. Filings allege that Diaz and his former wife posed as the victim to post an advertisement on Craigslist's "personal" section to fulfill a "rape fantasy" against Diaz's former wife, which they then contacted law enforcement about to falsely claim that the Jane Doe victim was responsible for the threats.
According to the indictment, Diaz told the 911 responder on the phone that Jane Doe "needs to be in f---ing cuffs in a padded room" and complained that no actions had been taken against her. He reminded the responder of his work as a deputy US marshal, and said he frequently investigates threats against judges and prosecutors and had "never seen anything like this."
The plan was successful. Law enforcement ended up arresting the victim and placed her in jail for 88 days.
Diaz made his initial appearance in court on Thursday in the Central District of California. If convicted, he'll face up to five years in prison for each charge. The case is being investigated by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.