Herman Calvin Brightman, a New Jersey man, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stalking and assaulting multiple women, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. Brightman, also known as "Nazir Griffiths" or "Nazir Luckett," had previously pled guilty to traveling in interstate commerce to commit a crime of violence and sending interstate threats. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated, “Herman Brightman preyed on women he met through online dating websites. By posing as a nurse, Brightman earned the trust of his victims, and then stalked, assaulted, and threatened them. With today’s lengthy prison sentence, Brightman can no longer inflict pain or fear in his victims. I commend the brave women who spoke out against Brightman to ensure that he was held accountable for his crimes.”
From January 2022 to September 2023, Brightman used social media platforms, including Facebook and Hinge, to meet women under false pretenses. He often created false identities for himself, posing as a nurse or nurse practitioner. Court filings detail that Brightman initiated relationships with women and then became violent, particularly if they attempted to end the relationship.
One incident in July 2022 involved Brightman traveling from New Jersey to the Bronx, where he threatened a woman, referred to as "Victim-1," and her child with a knife. He then forced them to travel to his home in New Jersey. The woman eventually called 911, leading to her rescue by police.
In August 2023, Brightman attacked another woman, "Victim-2," holding her at knifepoint and making threats. Following this incident, Brightman harassed Victim-2 with multiple threatening phone calls. In September 2023, he assaulted a third woman, "Victim-3," in a series of confrontations, leaving her with injuries.
Later that month, Brightman convinced a fourth woman, "Victim-4," to let him into her home, where he assaulted and threatened her, leaving visible injuries.
In addition to the prison sentence, Brightman was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The New York City Police Department was praised for its investigative work, while the case was managed by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian, Patrick Moroney, and Elizabeth Daniels in charge of prosecution.