Latest news with #MichaelLewis
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Man jailed for stalking and harassing Fever star Caitlin Clark
A 55-year-old Texas man pleaded guilty Monday to stalking and harassing Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark. Michael Lewis, a native of Denton, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The sentence includes credit for time served at the Marion County Adult Detention Center since he was arrested at an Indianapolis hotel in January and charged with felony stalking after allegedly sending repeated threats and sexually violent messages to Clark via social media. According to his sentence, Lewis must also stay away from Clark and from Fever or Indiana Pacers games and cannot use the internet during his sentence. The judge also recommended mental health treatment for Lewis, who was continually disruptive at Monday's hearing, including saying of Clark "I want her to be safe" and prophesizing about the end of the world, per WTHR. Lewis was arrested in January after authorities were able to track the IP address of his threatening messages via X to a hotel in Indianapolis. He continued to send messages to Clark even after the police visited the hotel to address the previous messages, which he either denied or referred to as "an imaginary relationship." Clark told police she did not know Lewis and did not respond to any of the messages from Lewis. "This resolution ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his threatening actions, the fear he instilled, and the disruption he caused," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Monday. "He will now spend the next two and a half years in the Department of Correction, and the victim will be able to have peace of mind while focusing on what matters to her." Clark also reportedly told police she feared for her life to the point where she altered her appearance in public. "I hope everyone focuses on the fact that there is a real victim here," Mears said. "There is a 22-year-old young person here who has been profoundly impacted by what is being said. I think, hopefully, (this case) also highlights there are consequences to what people say online. You have someone who is now looking over their shoulder, because they don't know, 'Is this going to be the day or the time when I have to encounter this person in person?'"
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Texas man pleads guilty, gets jail in stalking of WNBA star Caitlin Clark
Michael Lewis was ordered to stay away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Fever events and Indiana Pacers organization events Published Jul 28, 2025 • 1 minute read Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on before a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Chicago. Photo by Nam Y. Huh / AP INDIANAPOLIS — A 55-year-old Texas man who told police he was in 'an imaginary relationship' with WNBA star Caitlin Clark was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to stalking and harassing the Indiana Fever guard. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Michael Lewis, of Denton, Texas, reached a deal with Marion County prosecutors in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment. He will get credit for time served. Lewis also was ordered to stay away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Fever events and Indiana Pacers organization events, as well as to have no contact with Clark. He also will not be allowed internet access during his sentence. Lewis was arrested on Jan. 12 after authorities alleged he sent hundreds of 'threats and sexually explicit messages' to Clark between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025. Lewis, who prophesied during Monday's courtroom proceedings that the end of the world was coming, also was recommended to get mental health treatment. The FBI tracked the IP addresses of Lewis' messages to a hotel in downtown Indianapolis as well as the Indianapolis Public Library. Indianapolis police then made a welfare check on Lewis, according to court documents, and he told officers that he was in 'an imaginary relationship' with Clark and that he came to Indianapolis on vacation. The messages to Clark continued after the initial visit by police. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, has been limited to 13 games this season because of injuries and is currently sidelined with a strained right groin. MLB Golf Toronto & GTA Columnists World
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Texas man pleads guilty, sentenced to prison for stalking Caitlin Clark
A Texas man arrested in Indianapolis on charges of stalking Caitlin Clark was sentenced to more than two years in prison, authorities announced Monday. Michael Lewis, 55, pleaded guilty to a felony count of stalking and a misdemeanor count of harassment, according to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. In an agreement reached with that office, Lewis was said to have received the maximum penalty for the class of felony in his case.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark stalker sentenced to 2 years in prison after messaging star over 800 times
A Texas man who admitted to stalking Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison on Monday for harassing her with threatening and sexually explicit messages. Michael Lewis, 55, pleaded guilty to one felony count of stalking and one misdemeanor count of harassment as part of a plea agreement with Marion County, Ind., prosecutors. 'This resolution ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his threatening actions, the fear he instilled, and the disruption he caused,' Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. 'He will now spend the next two and a half years in the Department of Corrections, and the victim will be able to have peace of mind while focusing on what matters to her.' Although the judge sentenced Lewis to 2 ½ years behind bars, the maximum under state law, he received credit for 197 days of incarceration he already served. That brings his prison term on the stalking charge down to just under two years. The judge additionally handed down a 180-day suspended sentence for the harassment charge. As part of the plea agreement, Lewis is prohibited from contacting Clark and cannot visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Fever play home games, or Hinkle Fieldhouse, the team's former arena. He is also banned from all Fever and Indiana Pacers events. Prosecutors said Lewis sent Clark, 23, more than 800 threatening social media messages between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025. He was also recorded driving from Texas to Indianapolis and driving past Gainbridge Fieldhouse multiple times. Police found he also purchased tickets to a Butler University women's basketball game he knew Clark would be attending. The investigation into Lewis found that he sent some of his messages to Clark from a hotel in Indianapolis. Investigators visited him at the hotel on Jan. 8, at which point Lewis acknowledged he had 'an imaginary relationship' with Clark. Despite his contact with law enforcement, Lewis continued to message Clark, and he was arrested and charged on Jan. 12. Lewis' first court appearance was on Jan. 14, and as the presiding judge greeted him, he immediately leaned back in his chair and declared he was 'guilty as charged.' He also said he had not received his medication for unspecified mental health issues since his arrest. During his sentencing on Monday, Lewis said he knew 'almost nothing' about Clark's personal life when he began messaging her. He went on to say he never followed or threatened Clark, at which point the judge warned his attorney that Lewis was 'about to talk himself out of a plea' and that she would not accept a 'plea of guilty from somebody who says they are not guilty.' The plea agreement advises that Lewis seek further mental health treatment and return to Texas once his sentence is complete. Lewis' attorney has not responded to a request for comment. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Indiana Fever, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Caitlin Clark stalker sentenced to more than 2 years in prison
A Texas man who sent harassing online messages to basketball superstar Caitlin Clark has been sentenced to serve 2.5 years in Lewis, 55, was arrested in January in Indianapolis, only one mile away from where Clark's team, the Indiana Fever, play their said that Lewis sent hundreds of threatening and sexually explicit messages to Clark over the course of a month. Clark told police she had to alter her appearance in public due to her fear of the denied to police that the posts were threatening, saying that he was writing them for "just the same reason everybody makes posts". He also told police that he had "an imaginary relationship" with Clark. During a contentious court hearing on Monday, Lewis told the judge that he wanted Clark to "be safe", aimed to point out holes in her security and claimed he had "never threatened her, I've never thought about threatening her". The judge in the case warned that his remarks could breach his plea bargain with prosecutors. Lewis had been facing up to six years in prison for harassment and stalking. Lewis also went on to prophesise the end of the world, according to WTHR-TV."He is going to talk himself out of a plea," the judge said, interrupting him. "You have to understand that as part of a plea deal, you are admitting responsibility."Officials praised Clark for coming forward with her concerns about the posts. "No matter how prominent a figure you are, this case shows that online harassment can quickly escalate to actual threats of physical violence," Prosecutor Ryan Mears said after sentencing on Monday. "It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't."Lewis was ordered to have no contact with Clark, and not to use the internet during his prison term. He was also ordered to stay away from all Fever 23, was already a major celebrity athlete when she joined the WNBA last year, having won back-to-back NCAA championships with the Iowa Hawkeyes, and setting the all-time Division I scoring record for both men and was drafted as the first overall pick by the Fever in 2024 and was later named rookie of the joining the team, she has set multiple WNBA records, including assists in a single game and in a season.
