A Connecticut man has been sentenced to almost seven years in federal prison for using social media accounts to cyberstalk and threaten a South Carolina FBI agent and his family.
Scott Robert Tardy, 32, of Seymour, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. to 80 months followed by three years of court-ordered supervision for cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI and obstruction of justice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Tardy’s sentence represented “a variance above the advisory sentencing range provided by the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “The court imposed the higher sentence because of the severity of the impact on the victims.”
Anderson also ordered Tardy to pay more than $5,000 in restitution “for financial costs to the victims associated with his criminal conduct,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court records show that Tardy had an account on the Kik social media platform, where he reportedly joined an anti-law enforcement chat group. At the time, investigators said he was working as a corrections officer at a Connecticut detention facility,
In messages posted on Kik, Tardy repeatedly identified the victims’ association with the FBI as a reason to target them, according to court records. He also reportedly shared photographs of the agent’s spouse and the city and state where they live.
“Tardy discussed violence against the agent and the agent’s family, including throwing a Molotov cocktail in their bedroom while they were sleeping,” court records show.
Investigators allege that he asked for the conversation to be moved to the Telegram platform because he believed that application was more secure, according to court records. There, Tardy reportedly discussed what a cartel would do to the victims and discussed having one of the victims “ruined,” “destroyed,” and “tortured for days.” He also reportedly discussed recording the violence.
Court records also show that Tardy said burning the house was “good enough” if the victim was inside. Tardy then reportedly shared the location of the victims’ home and asked another user how long it would take them to get there.
When the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on Feb. 16, he reportedly denied using Kik or Telegram. “He gave further false statements in an interview with investigators, and he caused the phone that he used to be reset, clearing its content, and exchanging it for a new phone,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Data related to the Kik and Telegram accounts reportedly showed that Tardy ran the accounts. Investigators also reportedly recovered the map of the victims’ home with the pin drop on it from an account associated with Tardy, according to court records.
“The work of a law enforcement agent is difficult enough without the undue burden of threats against their safety and the safety of their family,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to support our law enforcement partners who protect South Carolina every day.”
The investigation also reportedly revealed that Tardy was engaging in other predatory online activities, including messages “discussing his desires to drug and rape women in his community and sharing images of friends’ children while discussing child sexual abuse,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Cyberstalking has serious consequences, as this defendant has now learned,” said Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “His deliberate actions were intended to instill fear and resulted in lasting trauma for the victims. The FBI will always investigate, pursue, and bring to justice, individuals who exploit digital platforms to engage in criminal conduct.”