New York Man Arrested on Federal Charges in Maryland for Cyberstalking, Attempted Murder for Hire, and Perpetrating False Information and Hoaxes

 Used More than 100 Accounts, Including Through Social Media Platforms and E-Mail, to Threaten and Harass Female Victim in Maryland; Solicited Others to Rape, Murder, and Decapitate Victim and Posted Her Personal Information Online

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Desmond Babloo Singh, age 19, of New York, New York, on the federal charges of cyberstalking, causing intentional damage to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, e-mailing a hoax bomb threat, and murder for hire.  The complaint was filed on December 14, 2020, and was unsealed upon Singh’s arrest today.  Singh is expected to have an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, in February 2020, Singh sent the victim, Jane Doe, an Instagram story, professing his love for her.  Jane Doe was a former classmate of Singh’s older sister.  Jane Doe rejected Singh’s romantic advances and told him that she was not interested in a relationship with him.  Jane Doe, who resides in Maryland when she is not attending college, asked Singh to not contact her any further.

As detailed in the affidavit, from approximately April 18, 2020, through November 24, 2020, Singh allegedly used more than 100 different social media, electronic communication, and phone accounts to send Jane Doe harassing and unsolicited messages.  The messages included express and implied threats of death and bodily injury, sexualized violence, and racial slurs.  Singh allegedly accessed several of Jane Doe’s electronic accounts without authorization, changing her passwords to lock her out of her accounts and posting offensive images and statements to her accounts without authorization.  Singh allegedly obtained personal images that had been privately stored in Jane Doe’s Snapchat account, which he later posted on social media accounts used to harass Jane Doe, and sent via text message to Jane Doe and her family members.

According to the affidavit, Singh publicly posted Jane Doe’s personal information on several occasions and encouraged others to harass the victim.  Singh also allegedly posted the personal information of Jane Doe’s family members.  Singh allegedly sent harassing messages and posted messages attacking an ex-boyfriend of Jane Doe, who Singh viewed as a romantic rival.  In addition, Singh allegedly “swatted” Jane Doe, causing a police response to her Baltimore County residence in response to an e-mailed bomb threat.  Further, the affidavit alleges that Singh solicited others online to rape, murder, and decapitate Jane Doe in exchange for Bitcoin.

If convicted, Singh faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for cyberstalking; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for causing intentional damage to a protected computer; a mandatory two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft; a maximum of five years in federal prison for e-mailing a hoax bomb threat; and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for murder for hire.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Singh is expected to have an initial appearance later today in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses. Singh will have his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore at a later date

A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked HSI New York and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Christopher M. Rigali, who are prosecuting the case.