Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, a 26-year-old woman from Athens, Georgia, has been charged with federal crimes related to cyberstalking and making interstate threats. The charges stem from an adoption scam where Watson allegedly targeted a couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on May 15, 2024, includes two counts of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats to kidnap or injure.
Watson is accused of engaging in a deceitful scheme involving adoption, using online communication to cyberstalk the victims and send them threatening messages. The investigation led to multiple search warrants being executed, including one on Watson’s home in Athens, Georgia. These actions were part of a coordinated effort by law enforcement to gather evidence against Watson.
If convicted on all counts, Watson could face a maximum of five years in federal prison for each charge, meaning she could potentially spend up to 15 years behind bars. The severity of the charges highlights the serious nature of her alleged actions, which exploited the vulnerabilities of the victims involved in the adoption process.
The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, with assistance from the FBI’s Nashville Resident Agency and Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are leading the prosecution.
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