A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment charging Jonathan L. Chain, 35, of Cleveland, with using a cellular telephone to send threats and stalking at least three victims, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Cleveland office.
The indictment alleges that on at least five occasions, Chain made cellular telephone calls to victims and threatened to kill, sexually assault or rape them. The indictment further alleges that the defendant, over a period of months in 2015, made a series of threatening telephone calls to at least three victims during which he threatened to sexually assault, rape or kill them.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Fairlawn Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bulford.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
