TUCSON — A federal jury has found an Oregon man guilty of cyberstalking and interstate stalking after a four-day trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Prosecutors say Brian Thomas Balda, 52, harassed and intimidated a former U.S. government official for about 10 months in 2023 and 2024, sending abusive and profane text messages and voicemails.
Authorities say Balda eventually drove from Oregon to Arizona to confront the victim. He was arrested near the victim’s home, where law enforcement found four knives, binoculars and a replica handgun in his car.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office led the investigation, with help from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the University of Arizona Police Department. The United States The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tucson is prosecuting the case.
A conviction for cyberstalking and interstate stalking carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and no more than three years supervised release.
Cyberstalking and interstate stalking convictions each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release.
Balda is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 4, 2025.
