DENTON, Texas - A Denton, Texas man pleaded guilty Thursday to stalking basketball star Caitlin Clark, receiving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Michael Lewis Pleads Guilty
Michael Lewis, 55, admitted in Marion County, Indiana court to sending numerous threats and sexually explicit messages to Clark via social media between Dec. 12, 2024, and Jan. 11, 2025.
Lewis pleaded guilty to stalking, a Level 6 felony, and harassment, a Class B misdemeanor. The two-and-a-half-year sentence is the maximum penalty for a Level 6 felony in Indiana.
Texas man charged with stalking WNBA star Caitlin Clark
Police say he traveled to Indianapolis from North Texas and sent an overwhelming amount of explicit online messages directed to Caitlin Clark, including claims he was driving around her home.
The plea agreement includes a no-contact order for Clark and court-ordered protections for various locations in Indianapolis. Lewis is also barred from receiving alternative misdemeanor sentencing.
Stalking Caitlin Clark
During the investigation, authorities discovered Lewis' recent messages originated from IP addresses in Indianapolis. He was found to be staying at a hotel in the 100 block of Market Street.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers confronted Lewis on Jan. 8 regarding the messages, at which point he reportedly acknowledged it was "an imaginary relationship."
Despite this encounter with law enforcement, the messages continued, and Lewis was arrested and charged on Jan. 12 in Indianapolis.
What they're saying:
"This resolution ensures that the defendant is held accountable for his threatening actions, the fear he instilled, and the disruption he caused," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. "He will now spend the next two and a half years in the Department of Correction and the victim will be able to have peace of mind while focusing on what matters to her."
The Source: Information in this article is from the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.