A former San Francisco FBI agent has been indicted for allegedly cyberstalking a law student and attempting to obstruct the subsequent investigation through witness tampering and bribery.
Paul Raymond Flood, 54, of Castro Valley, was arrested Tuesday and made his first court appearance Wednesday. The federal grand jury indictment, filed May 16 and unsealed Wednesday, details allegations spanning from 2018 to 2019.
Prosecutors say Flood met the victim, a first-year law student, in October 2018 when she sought career advice about joining the FBI. Within weeks, Flood allegedly began making unwanted romantic advances and harassing her, ultimately using 79 different phone numbers to contact her over 11 months.
After the victim reported him to authorities in June 2019, Flood allegedly tried to obstruct the investigation by pressuring her not to cooperate. The indictment says he threatened suicide, offered bribes, and even proposed a sham marriage — purchasing a $17,000 engagement ring — so she couldn’t testify against him.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed Flood was assigned to the San Francisco division. The agency declined to comment further.
Flood faces felony charges, including cyberstalking, witness tampering, and obstruction. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on each count of witness tampering.
He is on conditional release and is scheduled to appear in federal court Jan. 15.