Ian Diaz, a former Deputy U.S. Marshal, has been sentenced to 121 months in prison, equivalent to 10 years and one month, for his role in a cyberstalking scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the conviction on June 30, 2023.
Mentioned in the Netflix documentary 'A Toxic Love Story,' the case involved Diaz and his then-partner, Angela Connell. The documentary details how Connell began receiving threats from an individual identified as "Lilithistruth." Diaz and Connell accused Michelle Hadley, Diaz's ex-fiancée, of being behind the threats. Hadley and Diaz had jointly purchased a condo, and their breakup was reportedly contentious, with disagreements over the property.
The Framing of Michelle Hadley
According to court documents and reporting, Hadley was accused by Diaz and Connell of sending the threats and of arranging for someone via Craig's List to fulfill a "rape fantasy" for Connell. Hadley, who had broken up with Diaz four months prior to his relationship with Connell, was arrested and spent 88 days in jail. The charges against her were eventually dropped on October 7, 2016. While she did not recover her down payment for the condo, which Diaz sold in 2016, Hadley later reached a settlement in April 2021 with the Anaheim Police Department for damages.
Revelations About Angela Connell
Further investigation into the case brought to light details about Angela Connell's past. Interviews in the documentary with her ex-boyfriend Jason Rayburn and former friend Mary Bukovskis revealed that Connell had a history of deception. She had reportedly lied about her profession, claiming to be an attorney, and also falsely stated she had cervical cancer. Diaz discovered Connell had fabricated her pregnancy, using a doctored sonogram and a positive pregnancy test created with a blue marker.
Connell was arrested in 2017 and pleaded guilty to all charges. Diaz annulled their marriage in April of the same year. After serving 342 days of pre-sentence credit, she was released to parole supervision in July 2020. Her parole concluded in 2021, and she relocated from California. Connell reportedly declined to participate in the documentary.
Investigation Points to Ian Diaz
Federal investigators, including Department of Justice Special Agent Jason Higley, began to question the narrative presented by Diaz and Connell. Higley noted Diaz's unusual behavior in bodycam footage, suggesting he was coaching Connell when law enforcement arrived at their home. Suspicion also arose regarding how quickly Diaz claimed to have identified the specific Craig's List ad related to the alleged "rape fantasy."
Investigators found fragments of emails from "Lilithistruth" on Diaz's government-issued laptop. Evidence also suggested that Diaz may have used past angry emails from Hadley following their breakup to mimic the style of the "Lilithistruth" communications. Hadley also shared details of Diaz's past harmful behavior toward her.
Conviction and Sentencing
In 2021, Diaz was arrested. He was ultimately convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, one count of cyberstalking, one count of perjury, and one count of obstructing a federal proceeding. Diaz was dismissed from the U.S. Marshal Service in 2023. He is currently serving his sentence in Texas.