Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Anna Maria prof charged in federal stalking case

By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

An associate professor at Anna Maria College is facing federal charges
after he allegedly stalked and threatened a New Orleans police officer.

Gary M. O'Bireck, 57, associate professor of criminal justice and
sociology at the Paxton college, was taken into custody as a federal
prisoner at Worcester police headquarters Monday, according to police
records. According to federal court records, he is being charged with
stalking and threats via interstate communication.

U.S. District Court in Worcester was closed yesterday because of the
weather. The criminal complaint was filed out of U.S. District Court in
the Eastern District of Louisiana; it was not immediately clear
yesterday whether Mr. O'Bireck will remain in custody in Worcester or
if he will be taken to Louisiana to face the charges.

Paula Green, spokeswoman for Anna Maria College, said college

officials were not made aware of the allegations against Mr. O'Bireck
until Monday, and said they immediately placed the Elmira, N.Y.,
resident on administrative leave "pending the resolution of personal
issues."

She said he has been teaching at the college for the past six or seven
years.

According to a federal affidavit filed in Louisiana, Mr. O'Bireck, using
Craigslist personal ads, e-mail addresses and a Facebook alias, started
making threats against a New Orleans police officer in August. The
officer told the FBI in New Orleans that he "received, and continues to
receive, threats of physical violence via Facebook and e-mail regarding
a rape allegation lodged against him in September 2007."

Claiming to be the alleged rape victim's boyfriend, Mr. O'Bireck sent
profanity and racial-slur-laced e-mails and Facebook messages to the
officer, telling him "u will pay," according to the affidavit.

"Do u have any idea what's going to happen to you?" A Dec. 23
message said, according to the affidavit. "Do you know were ur going?
Do u know the kind of guys ur going to be around-every day-every
night? Do you know what happens when a cop goes to prison? Any
idea?"

At the end of the Dec. 23 message, Mr. O'Bireck allegedly wrote: "….if
we don't hear from u, consider urself a ghost."

According to the affidavit, Mr. O'Bireck also made references to Hell's
Angels motorcycle club, and in a Facebook message sent Dec. 24, he
told the officer to "straighten it out, and I'll help you, or else ur
tortured toast. The last guy they took out left in 25 pieces. I'm not
joking bro."

Using the Facebook alias of "Michael Lovesmayhem," as he allegedly
did with the e-mails to the officer, Mr. O'Bireck also allegedly sent
messages to the police officer's father, advising him that national
television news networks were interested in the story of the alleged
rape. He wrote that he would protect him from Hell's Angels if he
would reach out to him by phone, according to the affidavit.

Authorities used Internet protocol addresses to trace the e-mails and
Facebook pages back to Mr. O'Bireck's address in Elmira, according to
the affidavit. Authorities obtained a search warrant and searched Mr.
O'Bireck's home Jan. 20. According to the affidavit, Mr. O'Bireck later
admitted to an FBI agent that he had sent threatening messages to
the police officer. The affidavit also said Mr. O'Bireck told the FBI that
he referenced Hell's Angels because "he once met several guys in a
bar who were affiliated with the Hell's Angels."

"According to O'Bireck, he helped them with a fight at a bar, and
afterward the Hell's Angels members offered to help O'Bireck if he
ever needed," the affidavit said.