A federal jury has convicted a Montgomery County man on a cyberstalking charge following a two-week trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Jason Michael Leidel, 45, an active Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy from Silver Spring, was found guilty of one count of cyberstalking. The conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes alongside leaders from multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Court documents and evidence presented at trial showed that Leidel engaged in a years-long campaign of harassment against his ex-wife and her partner. Prosecutors said Leidel repeatedly sent emails containing false allegations in an effort to get his ex-wife fired from her job as a special education teacher at a public school. He also attempted to have her and their children evicted from their home by sending similar false communications.
The jury heard that Leidel additionally filed numerous false reports with child protective services against his ex-wife. After she began dating someone new, identified in court as Victim 2, Leidel escalated his actions by submitting false claims alleging child abuse by Victim 2. Prosecutors said Leidel then repeatedly contacted Victim 2’s supervisors with false accusations in an attempt to trigger investigations and cause him to lose his job.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the harassment persisted for several years before Leidel was arrested by law enforcement in connection with the case. Leidel faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby has scheduled sentencing for Thursday, March 12, 2026. A mugshot was not provided in the press release.
