The FBI got involved in the Oklahoma case after bank employees in Ardmore noted concerning behavior surrounding the victim’s attempt to wire Martin $40,000.
The victim was on the phone with Martin when she arrived at the bank. When asked for a destination bank for the wire transfer, Martin refused to tell his victim and insisted on speaking to the teller instead. The bank refused to handle the transaction.
When the wire transfer was denied, Martin told his victim to withdraw $50,000 in cash. The bank complied with the victim’s request, but urged her to speak to police about the obvious coercion.
“That’s a significant amount of money,” said Special Agent Ken Western, who worked the case from the FBI’s Oklahoma City office. “The bank thought if he was requesting money by phone, maybe it was a threatening communication. So they reported it.”
The FBI reached out to the victim, who showed agents numerous text messages and played voicemails from Martin. He repeatedly said he would share nude photos he had taken of her unless she gave him money. Despite receiving $50,000, Martin also demanded a relationship and sex with the victim.
“He was just harassing this lady, causing severe emotional distress. He was relentless,” Western said.
As in the Latigo case, Martin had other victims as well. He even sent the nude photos of his victim to another victim to show he was serious.
Investigators found victims through protection orders that had been filed against Martin. That information helped show a pattern of behavior. Martin found several of his victims through a dating site for divorced adults.
Martin pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking in October 2017. A federal judge sentenced him to 33 months’ imprisonment in April.
“This goes on a lot,” Western said, adding that people should not share intimate photos over the Internet or social media sites. “This lady lost $50,000, and she was extremely distressed. I hope other people will think twice about it.”
Victims in both cases received support through the FBI’s Victim Services Division.
