Durham Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking Gay Men in Raleigh-Durham

WILMINGTON, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced David Ryan Winters, age 40, to 3 years in federal prison for cyberstalking. For almost a decade, Winters stalked, harassed, and threatened gay men online in the Raleigh-Durham area. Winters pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Winters became enraged at the gay community in Raleigh-Durham for perceived slights. Starting around 2016, Winters began stalking gay men online and in person, including by showing up at victims' homes and sending them pictures of their residences. Winters would discover victims' personal information and send angry messages. He repeatedly threatened to kill specific victims and gay men generally, saying that he wanted to make national headlines and invoking the Pulse homicides from Florida. Winters visited one victim's workplace, shattered a window, and threw a metal trashcan on the victim's car. Winters's obsessive harassment campaign terrified many people, forcing them to move or take other self-protective measures.

"We believe in protecting all citizens who deserve to live their lives in peace. This antisocial behavior cannot fester without serious attention and prevention. Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners for taking this very seriously and putting this criminal behind bars." said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.

Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North CarolinaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-343-M-RN.