Scott Robert Tardy, a 32-year-old resident of Seymour, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice. The case involved threats against a South Carolina-based FBI agent and his family.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina commented on the sentencing: “The work of a law enforcement agent is difficult enough without the undue burden of threats against their safety and the safety of their family. We’ll continue to support our law enforcement partners who protect South Carolina every day.”
Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office, said: “Cyberstalking has serious consequences, as this defendant has now learned. His deliberate actions were intended to instill fear and resulted in lasting trauma for the victims. The FBI will always investigate, pursue, and bring to justice, individuals who exploit digital platforms to engage in criminal conduct.”
According to evidence presented during the investigation, Tardy used an account under the username “connecticut12345” on Kik to participate in an anti-law enforcement chat group. In these messages, he singled out his targets due to their connection with the FBI and shared photos identifying one victim’s spouse as well as information about where they lived.
Tardy escalated his communications by suggesting violence against both the agent and family members. He described scenarios including throwing a Molotov cocktail into their bedroom while they slept. He requested that conversations be moved from Kik to Telegram—where he used “slimybanana”—because he considered it more secure.
On Telegram, Tardy discussed what harm could be inflicted on his victims by a cartel and suggested having one victim “ruined,” “destroyed,” or “tortured for days.” He talked about recording acts of violence on video and indicated burning down their home would suffice if someone was inside. Tardy also sent another user a map showing his victims’ street location.
When agents executed a search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on February 16th, he denied using either Kik or Telegram and denied sending any threatening messages. Investigators determined that he made additional false statements during interviews and reset his phone before exchanging it for another device in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Despite these efforts to hide his involvement, authorities confirmed through data linked with both accounts that Tardy controlled them. They also recovered incriminating material such as maps pinpointing where his targets lived.
At the time these activities occurred, Tardy was employed as a corrections officer at a Connecticut detention facility. Additional evidence revealed other predatory online behavior—including discussions about drugging women in his community and sharing images of children alongside comments about child sexual abuse.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr., citing severe impact on victims as justification for exceeding standard sentencing guidelines set by the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual (https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines), imposed an 80-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release with no possibility for parole within federal prisons (https://www.bop.gov/inmates/custody_and_care/parole.jsp). Restitution exceeding $5,000 was ordered to cover costs incurred by victims due to Tardy’s conduct.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led this case; prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Elliott B. Daniels.
