FBI veteran charged with stalking after allegedly terrorizing law student for over a year

A former FBI agent's dark obsession with a first-year law student spiraled into an elaborate campaign of harassment involving 79 different phone numbers, surveillance, and attempts to force a sham marriage, according to federal prosecutors.

Paul Raymond Flood, 54, a Castro Valley resident who served as an FBI Special Agent from 2007 to 2019, allegedly transformed what began as a career mentorship into a nightmarish ordeal. After meeting the law student through a family connection in October 2018, Flood launched an aggressive pursuit that started with an unsolicited diamond ring delivery and escalated into months of unwanted romantic advances and intimidating behavior.

"Flood had a diamond ring delivered to [the victim] in mid-October 2018; used different numbers and messaging applications to call and text [her], creating and using at least 79 different phone numbers between mid-October 2018 through September 2019," states the indictment filed in the Northern District of California. When the victim reported him in June 2019, Flood allegedly attempted to obstruct the investigation through a mix of manipulation tactics — from suicide threats to bribery. Prosecutors say Flood tried to convince the victim to enter a sham marriage to prevent her from testifying against him, even purchasing a $17,000 engagement ring as part of the scheme.

The investigation, led by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General with FBI assistance, has resulted in multiple serious charges against Flood, including cyberstalking, witness tampering, and obstruction. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each witness tampering count alone.

Incredibly, Flood is currently free on conditional release, with his next court appearance scheduled for January 2025.

Previously:
FBI releases files on controversial booksellers Paladin and Loompanics
Social-engineering the FBI in 1971
Trump's FBI doubles down on hostility to transparency, switches to fax and snailmail for FOIA requests
FBI Director Christopher Wray quits early to avoid being fired