A Tuscaloosa man has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for threatening and cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend. The ruling was announced by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge James DeLoatch.
U.S. District Court Judge Annmarie Axon delivered the sentence to Kenneth Peter Hoover, aged 27, following his guilty plea in November to charges of interstate threatening communications and cyberstalking.
The case came to light on January 22, 2024, when the FBI National Threat Operations Center received an online tip about several threatening posts on X, a platform formerly known as Twitter. Hoover, the user behind the posts, threatened to assault and kill his ex-girlfriend. The Tuscaloosa Police Department, upon being informed, contacted the victim and ensured her safety by providing secure housing.
Subsequently, a Tuscaloosa Police officer stopped Hoover during a traffic violation. Despite orders to exit his vehicle, Hoover refused, prompting additional officers to arrive and successfully detain him. Investigations revealed Hoover's use of Apple iMessage, Snapchat, and Venmo to send threatening and violent messages with the intent to harm or intimidate his ex-girlfriend.
The investigation was a combined effort by the FBI Birmingham Division and the Tuscaloosa Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuting the case.
