A troubled veteran stalked a high-profile former F.B.I. official at her home in Washington final 12 months — simply weeks after the bureau decided he didn’t pose an imminent risk regardless of his documented obsession with weapons and mass shootings, investigators mentioned.
John C. Perez, 32, an ex-Marine who lives in California, pleaded responsible on Thursday to a federal misdemeanor stalking cost as a part of a plea deal that bars him from visiting the Washington space for the subsequent six months, and requires him to attend a half-dozen remedy classes.
The previous F.B.I. lawyer, Lisa Web page, who turned a persistent goal of President Donald J. Trump after her textual content messages turned public in 2017, attended Mr. Perez’s listening to within the Superior Courtroom of the District of Columbia. She requested the decide for extra stringent restrictions and accused the bureau of failing to warn her of the potential risk posed by Mr. Perez.
In mid-December, Mr. Perez confirmed up no less than 4 occasions at Ms. Web page’s home in Washington, making a weird declare that she had been witness to his childhood sexual abuse, despite the fact that the 2 had by no means met, based on a warrant from the Metropolitan Police Division. Throughout one go to, he interacted with Ms. Web page’s 11-year-old son.
“The F.B.I. knew about his fixation on me since September, and so they mentioned nothing,” Ms. Web page mentioned, her voice breaking with emotion and as she stood three ft from Mr. Perez, who remained expressionless. “Three months later, he was on my doorstep.”
A spokeswoman for the bureau didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
Ms. Web page, who labored for the F.B.I. on investigations into Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal e mail server whereas secretary of state and into potential ties between Russia and Mr. Trump’s marketing campaign, criticized Mr. Trump throughout his candidacy in textual content exchanges with one other bureau official.
Ms. Web page is suing the bureau over launch of the messages.
She resigned in Could 2018 and have become a goal of Mr. Trump and his supporters, who claimed that they represented a “deep state” cabal intent on destroying him.
On Thursday, she informed the court docket she had endured “5 years of threats by the previous president” and his followers, however that nothing had shaken her as deeply as “this occasion.”
Her emotional enchantment roused a rumpled assemblage of public defenders, clerks and other people accused of low-level offenses in a closely trafficked courtroom the place plea offers and bench warrants are usually dispatched with out fuss or fanfare.
The decide, Robert I. Richter — one of many longest tenured jurists on the federal bench — rested chin available and expressed his sympathy with Ms. Web page, however didn’t order any modifications to the deal, citing the defendant’s lack of a previous felony report.
“I don’t know that I disagree with you,” he mentioned. “However it’s laborious for me to search out higher choices. It’s not like we will put him away without end.”
Decide Richter then turned to Mr. Perez, a slim man with a inflexible navy bearing, razor-shaved head and a white gown shirt buttoned to the highest. He warned him “to cease this nonsense” and mentioned he would face a protracted jail sentence if he continued to stalk Ms. Web page or did something to run afoul of the regulation.
“I’m going to cooperate,” Mr. Perez assured him.
Prosecutors mentioned Mr. Perez traveled cross-country final December with the only real goal of confronting Ms. Web page, after turning into obsessed along with her after seeing her on the information.
The court docket paperwork don’t point out that Mr. Perez had any political motivations, however somewhat that he noticed Ms. Web page as the one one that might present “closure” in his life.
The Marines discharged Mr. Perez in Could 2023 after he made a collection of weird statements involving Ms. Web page that had been, upon examination, discovered to be a symptom of a critical delusional dysfunction, based on the arrest warrant.
He was barred from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the place he had been stationed, after navy investigators flagged his “erratic habits,” a want to acquire weapons, “obsession with mass shootings,” fixation on youngster intercourse abuse and the likelihood he may interact in office violence.
The Marines handed the knowledge alongside to the F.B.I. round that point. Throughout an interview with brokers, Mr. Perez repeated his delusional claims, based on the affidavit.
However they didn’t take motion or notify Ms. Web page, she mentioned in court docket, exercising her proper as against the law sufferer to remark earlier than sentencing.
In February, M.P.D. detectives efficiently requested an arrest warrant for Mr. Perez, citing his “persistent and growingly aggressive habits.”
He complied and flew again to Washington voluntarily.
