Warminster Man Gets Prison For Cyber-Stalking Wife (ICYMI)

WARMINSTER, PA — A Warminster man has been sentenced in federal court to prison for making online death threats against his estranged wife and her family.

Blair Strouse, 29, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Petrese Tucker on cyberstalking charges.

In February 2015, Strouse started chatting online with a woman from Brazil who eventually moved to the United States to work for a company that provided au pair services. When the position didn't work out, she moved to Pennsylvania to be with Strouse, whom she married about a month later.

In November 2016, prosecutors say, Strouse began mistreating the woman and she moved out of their Warminster home. The next month, Strouse began a "relentless campaign" to threaten and harass his wife and her family members, who were still living in Brazil.

Over several months, Strouse sent dozens of online messages to his wife's family members and other associates, repeatedly threatening to kill or hurt them. He also offered to pay anyone willing to kill or injure his wife's family members, the U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia said.

Even after a Bucks County judge issued a protection from abuse order against Strouse in February 2017, he continued to send harassing messages and said his "purpose in life" was to make members of his estranged wife's family suffer.

"Threats like these made in any manner, whether via electronic communications or otherwise, are taken very seriously by my office," said U.S. Attorney William McSwain. "It's not an excuse to say that you were just mouthing off. If you threaten serious bodily injury or even death over the internet, that is a federal crime with consequences."

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.