A federal grand jury has indicted Paul Raymond Flood, a former FBI agent, on charges of cyberstalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of a criminal investigation by bribery. Flood, 54, from Castro Valley, was arrested and made his initial court appearance following the unsealing of the indictment.
The indictment, originally filed on May 16, 2024, reveals that Flood served as an FBI Special Agent from 2007 to 2019. In October 2018, he met a first-year law student referred to as "Victim-1" or "V-1," who sought his guidance for a career with the FBI. A family member known as "B-1" had introduced V-1 to Flood.
Shortly after their meeting, Flood allegedly began harassing V-1 with unwanted romantic advances. The indictment claims he sent her a diamond ring in mid-October 2018 and used various phone numbers and messaging apps to contact her extensively until September 2019. He also reportedly surveilled V-1 and her family and pressured B-1 to encourage communication with him.
Despite initially refraining from reporting due to fear of retaliation, V-1 eventually contacted law enforcement in June 2019. Following this report, the FBI suspended Flood while the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) launched an investigation into his actions.
Flood is accused of using intimidation tactics to prevent V-1 from cooperating with investigators. These included threats of suicide, bribes, and coercion aimed at V-1's family members. He allegedly persuaded V-1 to avoid DOJ OIG interview attempts and even proposed a sham marriage to avoid testimony against him by purchasing a $17,000 engagement ring. However, this plan was not executed.
The charges against Flood include one count of cyberstalking under 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(2)(B), two counts of witness tampering under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b)(2) and (b)(3), one count of harassment-related witness tampering under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(d), and one count of obstructing an investigation through bribery under 18 U.S.C. § 1510(a).
While these charges are serious allegations, it is important to note that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted on all counts, Flood could face up to 20 years for each instance of witness tampering per §1512(b), three years for harassment-related tampering per §1512(d), and five years each for cyberstalking and obstruction offenses.
Flood remains on conditional release pending his next court appearance scheduled for January 15, 2025.
United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey announced the indictment alongside Zachary Shroyer from DOJ OIG Western Region.
Assistant United States Attorney Anne C. Hsieh leads the prosecution with support from Mimi Lam, Lakisha Holliman, and Helen Yee following an investigation by DOJ OIG assisted by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.