Brentwood Man Found Guilty of Cyberstalking New Jersey Judge

LOS ANGELES – A man from the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles has been found guilty by a jury of a federal felony for sending dozens of emails to a New Jersey state court judge that threatened violence and death against the victim, the Justice Department announced today.

Jonathan Lipman, 36, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of stalking. He has been in federal custody since September 2023.

According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, from February 2023 to September 2023, Lipman sent dozens of emails to the victim, a New Jersey Superior Court judge, intending to harass, intimidate, and terrorize the victim.

In addition to voluminous threatening emails to the victim, Lipman also tracked down the victim’s home address and called the victim’s neighbor to stoke fear in the victim. Lipman also left numerous voicemails at the New Jersey courthouse directed at the victim.

Lipman continued his course of conduct despite a warning from law enforcement regarding his illegal conduct. Over time, Lipman’s communications became increasingly graphic and explicit. For example, in July 2023, Lipman sent the victim multiple emails detailing his graphic depictions of the jurist’s death.

United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled an October 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Lipman will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The FBI investigated this matter. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford D. Mpare of the General Crimes Section and Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.