Interstate Stalking Defendant Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Brian Curtis Hile, a 30-year-old resident of Fremont, Michigan, was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 60 months in custody for traveling across the country to San Diego to kill two people.

Hile was convicted after a jury trial in August of two counts of interstate stalking. According to court records, Hile traveled to San Diego from Michigan in August 2011 with the intent to kill a female victim and her live-in boyfriend.

Prior to traveling from Michigan to San Diego, Hile engaged in a romantic online relationship with someone he believed to be a woman. During the course of that online relationship, which spanned a couple of years, Hile exchanged romantic communications and explicit photographs.

However, when Hile learned that his online paramour was in fact a man residing in South Africa and that his romance was nothing more than a catfishing scheme, Hile became enraged and initiated what he termed “an investigation” to find the woman in the photographs.

As part of his investigation to identify his targets, Hile conducted an extensive search of the Internet, utilizing chat rooms and online gaming blogs to identify and locate the woman in the photographs. That woman is a resident of San Diego County, who years earlier had her online Photo Bucket account compromised, resulting in her photographs being disseminated over the Internet.

As a result of his diligent research efforts, Hile not only identified the woman in the photographs, but obtained personal information about her as well as her live-in boyfriend, the victims’ family members, and friends. Hile was arrested in San Diego within miles of the victims’ home, after admitting to a family member that he had already been to the victims’ residence but the victims were not home at the time.

At the time of his arrest, Hile was in possession of the victims’ address, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, telephone contacts, contact information for the victims’ favorite restaurant, and the names and addresses for educational institutions that the victims had previously attended. Forensic evidence showed that Hile retrieved the victims’ confidential information by hacking into the victims’ e-mail accounts. Hile was also found in possession of duct tape, zip ties, and a to-do list that included additional supplies he needed to complete his plan to kill the two victims, including a trench coat, knife, and chloroform.

During the sentencing hearing, one of the victims informed the court that even after two years, she still has nightmares on a regular basis that someone is trying to kill her and that she is too afraid to put her name on anything for fear that Hile will find her and her family again.

U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino pronounced the sentence of 60 months’ custody followed by three years of supervised release and ordered Hile to stay away from the victims and the victims’ families and friends.

United States Attorney Laura Duffy said, “Interstate stalkers who intend to harm members of our community will not be tolerated. We would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Cajon Police Department, and San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation and support of the prosecution of this dangerous individual.”

Criminal Case No. 12CR1687-JLS

Defendant
Brian Curtis Hile 30 Fremont, Michigan

Summary of Charges
Interstate stalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A(1).

Investigating Agencies

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• El Cajon Police Department
• San Diego County Sheriff’s Office