Christopher Martin Herr, 33, of Norfolk, pled guilty on July 23 to attempted witness tampering while under investigation for making threats of murder and assault. According to court documents, Herr repeatedly contacted his ex-girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, starting on May 3, 2025. He called her dozens of times and left voicemails threatening to kill her, her boyfriend, and assault her father.
On September 29, 2025, Herr drove to Jane Doe’s apartment in Virginia Beach and threw a trash can at her car. Between September 27 and October 28 that year, he sent messages threatening the lives of Jane Doe’s boyfriend, family members, and an FBI agent. On October 26, he again visited Jane Doe’s apartment and tried unsuccessfully to open her locked door. These incidents were reported by Jane Doe to the Virginia Beach Police.
The court records further show that on December 19, Herr contacted a relative who is an officer with the Norfolk Police Department seeking help in arranging for Jane Doe’s arrest for driving under the influence. He provided details about where she lived as well as information about her vehicle and license plate; however, the relative declined his request. On January 9 of the following year, Herr reached out to another law enforcement relative with a similar request.
Herr is scheduled for sentencing on November 19 and faces up to twenty years in prison if convicted. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, following acceptance of Herr’s plea by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikolas Nelson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting this case.