Virginia Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking Tulsa Mayor

A Virginia man who sent harassing and intimidating emails directed toward Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and his family was sentenced today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Adam Maxwell Donn, 41, of Norfolk, Virginia, to 15 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Eagan further ordered the defendant to pay restitution in the amount of $2,380 to the victim.

“Words can and do lead to violence. That was the fear of the Bynum family as they received Adam Donn’s vile and violent threats to inflict harm upon them. This sentence sends a clear message that there are real life consequences in the form of federal prison time for anyone who wants to engage in cyberstalking,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Sadly, we see far too many instances of online harassment, threats, and cyberstalking in today’s society. I hope Adam Donn’s prison sentence will deter others from engaging in similar conduct.”

At a change of plea hearing in October, the defendant admitted that he sent Mayor Bynum and his wife 44 emails and left 14 phone messages from June 11 through June 22, 2020, that were meant to harass, annoy, threaten and intimate the Bynum family. He also admitted that the threatening messages made numerous references to Bynum’s young children and their home address. Donn believed the threats would coerce Bynum into cancelling President Donald Trump’s campaign rally scheduled for June 20, 2020.

Initial charges were filed against Donn in July 2020. You can find the press release here.

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. U.S. Attorney Trent Shores and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.