A Massachusetts man faces a federal cyberstalking charge after allegedly sending Katie Miller and her family more than 40 menacing messages in under two months.
The FBI arrested John Anthony Proia III, 41, on Thursday. A federal grand jury in Boston indicted him the same day on one count of cyberstalking.
NBC News reported that prosecutors say Proia waged a sustained campaign of calls, texts, and voicemails against Katie Miller, her husband Stephen Miller, and her parents.
Katie Miller is a former Trump administration adviser who hosts a popular conservative podcast and lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Stephen Miller serves as White House deputy chief of staff for policy.
Court filings describe more than 40 contacts in less than two months during an August-to-September stretch. Some days brought multiple messages, including late at night. Miller answered some of the calls. Proia also left voicemails.
Justice Department materials say the communications came from ever-changing unfamiliar phone numbers. Proia allegedly used Voice over Internet Protocol apps that hand out free numbers, let users hide their identity, and make it easy to generate new ones.
Officials described the calls as coming from what appeared to be a male caller who used a menacing tone and often used expletives.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley did not mince words about the alleged pattern.
"As alleged in the Indictment, the defendant repeatedly and relentlessly targeted the victim, her husband and her family with deeply disturbing communications that profoundly disrupted their lives,"
Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, said agents took Proia into custody “for allegedly engaging in a sustained campaign of harassment to frighten this victim and her family, inflicting significant emotional distress.”
Court documents cite messages sent to Miller’s mother and father. One alleged text to her mother called Stephen Miller “evil” and Katie Miller a “creature.”
Another featured a photo of Katie Miller. A separate message read, “My god, how can you be proud of this filth?”
In a text message to the victim’s father, Proia is alleged to have written: “Hey [first name of victim’s father], how goes it? Hope your daughter marrying a Jewish Nazi/white supremacist is working out for you and [first name of victim’s mother]. Did you raise her to be trash or did that just happen naturally?”
Those are the words prosecutors put in the record. They show a pattern aimed not only at a public figure but at her parents at home.
Bloomberg reported over the weekend that two senior FBI officials in Washington were demoted and reassigned to headquarters. Three people familiar with the matter said the move followed concerns the agency was not moving efficiently enough on the threatening phone calls to Miller.
Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, told Bloomberg the change was a personnel decision made at the field office level based on “our constant evaluation of mission needs.”
The arrest and Boston indictment followed that internal shake-up. The Justice Department issued a news release describing the stalking allegations and the method of contact.
After the indictment, Katie Miller posted on X.
"Thank you Todd Blanche, Leah Foley, and the FBI Washington Field Office for keeping me and my family safe. Good to see a Boston grand jury indict this man,"
She named Attorney General Todd Blanche, the U.S. attorney, and the Washington field office. The grand jury action came out of Boston, where FBI Boston Division agents handled the arrest.
No motive beyond the alleged harassment appears in the public charging summary. The case turns on volume, timing, tone, and the choice to pull parents into the stream of messages.
Federal cyberstalking charges treat repeated electronic harassment that causes substantial emotional distress as a crime. Prosecutors say that is exactly what happened here across more than 40 contacts in under two months.
Proia’s residence details, custody status, counsel, and next court date were not laid out in the initial reporting. The indictment stands on one count.
Conservative families in public life already face heated opposition. When that opposition turns into late-night calls, rotating numbers, and insults aimed at parents, the law has a clear role.
The arrest shows federal agents can still close on a stalker who hides behind throwaway VoIP lines. Families should not need a personnel shake-up inside the FBI before that protection arrives.
