Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed against Jason Michael Leidel, 42, an active duty member of the United States Navy, and Sarah Elizabeth Sorg, 43, a trial attorney for the United States Department of Transportation. both of Silver Spring, Md., with aggravated identity theft, fraud involving a protected computer, cyberstalking and conspiracy to commit cyberstalking. The criminal complaint was filed on October 17, 2022, and was sealed today when the defendants were arrested.
The defendants will have their initial appearances from 3:00 p.m. today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson.
The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Baltimore; Alison F. Zavada, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); US Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (USDOT OIG) Special Agent in Charge Craig Miles; Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) Chief Marcus Jones; and Chief Paul W. Neudigate of the Virginia Beach, Virginia Police Department (VBPD).
According to the affidavit, Leidel married his wife in 2005 and they had two children together. Leidel has served in the military since 2003—first in the United States Air Force, and then in the United States Navy (USN). In 2017, while working at USN, Leidel was accepted for a Ph.D. program at the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences (“USUHS”) in Bethesda, Maryland, and reported for his assignment in June 2018. In August 2018, Leidel and his wife separated for good. He and their two children moved to Virginia Beach They returned to Virginia, where they lived prior to Leidel’s USUHS assignment.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Leidel claims that since their separation, Leidel has engaged in an extensive scheme to harass his ex-wife, obstruct court proceedings regarding domestic relations issues and commit fraud in two Montgomery courthouses. County, Maryland and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Among other things, Leidel used fraudulent email accounts and phone numbers to falsely create purported communications from his ex-wife, leading to the filing of criminal charges against him, his employment suspension, and interference with his personal life. Leidel also allegedly sent emails from compromised and fake accounts to portray his ex-wife as a mentally unstable parent in hopes of getting custody of their minor children, stripping the ex-wife of her retirement accounts and alimony in the divorce settlement.
In addition, according to the affidavit, Sorge shared his home with Leidel and was present at their residence when a search warrant was executed. Sorge was aware of information linking several fraudulent online accounts used by Leidel to harass and victimize his ex-wife in August 2020 and allegedly continued to assist Leidel in harassing the victim, obstructing court proceedings and committing fraud. Courts in Montgomery County, Maryland and Virginia Beach, Virginia.
If convicted, Jason Leidel and Sarah Sorge each face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and cyberstalking; A mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft; and one year in federal prison for fraud related to a protected computer. The actual penalties for federal crimes are usually less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will decide any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
A criminal complaint is not an area of guilt. A person charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in some subsequent criminal proceeding.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the FBI, NCIS, USDOT OIG, MCPD and VBPD for their work on the investigation and thanked the Maryland State Police for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys P. Michael Cunningham and Thomas M. Sullivan, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland US Attorney’s Office, its priorities and the resources available to support the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. .
