A Massachusetts man was arrested Thursday on federal charges alleging he cyberstalked conservative podcaster Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official. Authorities said the suspect made at least 40 menacing phone calls and sent disturbing messages to Miller and her husband, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, over several weeks.
The suspect also sent messages to phone numbers associated with Katie Miller's parents, according to prosecutors.
John Anthony Proia III, 41, faces one count of cyberstalking. An attorney listed for him did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Court documents did not identify the victim by name, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed it was Katie Miller. This person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss non-public aspects of the investigation.
“Those who use technology to harass, intimidate or torment others should understand that attempts to anonymize their criminal conduct will not shield them from prosecution,” Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, said in a statement. “We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
The investigation into the cyberstalking allegations has led to personnel changes within the FBI's Washington field office. Two senior counterterrorism supervisors were recently reassigned by the office's leader due to dissatisfaction with their handling of the probe, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously to discuss non-public personnel changes.
Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge of the Washington office, stated that the reassignments were personnel decisions based on an "constant evaluation of mission needs" and were not ordered by Director Kash Patel. Cox added that any suggestion otherwise was false.