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A Deputy US Marshal has been convicted of using fake internet accounts to orchestrate a ‘fantasy rape’ of his then-wife and blaming it on his ex-girlfriend.
Ian Diaz, 44, plotted to frame Michelle Hadley, 36, for stalking his new wife, Angela Diaz, 38, and posted fake Craigslist ads inviting men to rape his spouse– pretending they were from his ex.
He and Angela created a fake online persona for Hadley in 2016 and used it to send themselves ‘harassing and threatening messages’.
They also invited men to sexually assault Angela, putting out advertisements for ‘rape fantasies’ using the fake account in Hadley’s name and telling cops she was targeting them both.
Hadley was jailed for 88 days until officers uncovered their mistake and sued both Diaz and Anaheim Police Department.
Ian and Angela Diaz (pictured) created a fake online persona for his ex-fiance in 2016 and used it to send themselves ‘harassing and threatening messages’
Michelle Hadley (pictured) was jailed for 88 days until officers uncovered their mistake and sued both Diaz and Anaheim Police Department
Angela was jailed for five years in state prison over the ‘diabolical scheme’ in 2017, after pleading guilty to 10 felony and 22 misdemeanour charges.
She was accused of kidnapping, false imprisonment and falsely reporting a crime to a peace officer amongst others.
Her then husband, Diaz, has now been convicted of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury, and obstruction of a federal matter.
The couple sent fake threatening emails to each other pretending to be Hadley and making her seem ‘hell-bent on punishing her after their relationship dissolved.’
One said: ‘You deserve nothing but a life of lonely torture, I have ways to hurt you. There is no place you will be safe anymore.’
Another wrote: ‘You might be beautiful, you might be the one he married but you are still a sinner and must be punished. I will make sure you are reminded of your place, by force.’
Hadley was arrested, and later exonerated, of the slew of sex crime felonies that she was accused of but still spent nearly three months in prison.
The couple used Craigslist to try to get people to come to the condo and engage in a ‘rape fantasy’ with Angela.
She was accused of kidnapping, false imprisonment and falsely reporting a crime to a peace officer amongst others
Authorities say they hoped to stage a non-consensual sexual assault on Angela with the other party believing that the sexual encounter would be consensual
Authorities say they hoped to stage a non-consensual sexual assault on Angela with the other party believing that the sexual encounter would be consensual.
Both Angela and Diaz contacted the police to say that they had been targeted by men in their home.
They told cops that Hadley needed to be ‘in f***ing cuffs and in a padded room.’
Diaz told local police that he ‘investigates threats made to federal judges and prosecutors as part of his work as a Deputy United States Marshal and that he has ‘never seen anything like this.’
He texted another Craigslist user in the hope that he would come to the condo, in an attempt to prove that Hadley should be arrested.
Hadley was arrested at her home after a date when Angela called 911 to report that she had been sexually assaulted and it was her husband ex-fiancé’s fault.
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Diaz’s set up of Hadley was revealed after police discovered one of the IP addresses used to send the emails was linked to Diaz’s Anaheim condominium.
It was later found out that Angela had used a VPN and third-party proxy servers to send the emails to herself while disguising her IP address.
Speaking before Diaz was charged, Hadley said in the lawsuit that the police and the press mistakenly portrayed the case in sexist terms, describing it as a ‘catfight’ between Hadley and Angela Diaz, who were in the heat of a ‘love triangle.’
She said: ‘The crazy ex, the crazy new wife, all those crazy girls getting emotional,’
‘There’s absolutely no doubt in my head about who did this. There never has been.’
Michelle Hadley (seen in 2017) filed suit in federal court against Ian Diaz, her ex-fiance and a deputy United States Marshal
Angela Maria Diaz, 33, was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2017. The couple sent fake threatening emails to each other pretending to be Hadley and making her seem ‘hell-bent on punishing her after their relationship dissolved’
The lawsuit goes into explicit detail about the alleged abuse to which Hadley says she was subjected by Diaz during their tumultuous relationship.
She met him in 2013, not long after Hadley divorced her high school sweetheart after just four years of marriage.
Just months after they first met on a dating site, Diaz and Hadley moved in together, with Diaz exhibiting controlling behavior early in the relationship.
He pressured her to dress sexier by wearing crop tops and acrylic nails, according to the lawsuit.
Hadley also alleges that Diaz pressured her to leave her job for a marketing position which paid $20,000 less.
She says the job was at Diaz’s ‘favorite place’ – Disneyland Resort, where Diaz once worked.
Hadley believes Diaz pressured her to work there so his former colleagues can keep an eye on her.
She says she agreed to his demands because she wanted to make him happy. She was afraid that if she didn’t, he would leave her.
Diaz was indicted after the Department of Justice launched their own probe, with state police saying there was not enough evidence to charge him initially.
Hadley says she was subjected by Diaz during their tumultuous relationship
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said: ‘Ian Diaz abused his position as a deputy U.S. Marshal to execute an intricate cyberstalking scheme that framed an innocent person for sexual assault, leading to her unjust imprisonment for 88 days.
‘As this prosecution demonstrates, the Criminal Division is committed to preserving the public’s confidence in law enforcement by holding accountable any official who violates their oath of office and victimizes the community they are sworn to serve.’
Special Agent in Charge Harry A. Lidsky of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Cyber Investigations Office added: ‘Diaz’s egregious actions and lies to law enforcement stripped a woman of her freedom and liberty.
‘This kind of stalking, harassment, and obstruction is unconscionable, and yesterday, the jury held Diaz accountable for his crimes. I would like to thank the jury for their time, attention, and careful consideration of the facts of this case.’
He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, one count of cyberstalking, one count of perjury, and one count of obstructing a federal proceeding.
Diaz is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
