A man in Oregon is facing charges of relentlessly harassing his estranged wife even after she moved out, including incidents such as tracking her and setting fire to their shared home on two occasions, court documents reveal.
According to federal prosecutors and court documents, between October 7, 2020, and December 24, 2020, Joel Waters, 44, traveled from Wallowa, Oregon, to Boise, Idaho, where his wife had moved into her parents’ home following an argument that led to her decision to seek a divorce.
During his time in Boise, Waters allegedly engaged in stalking and intimidation, stole his wife’s dog from her parents’ home, slashed her and her parents’ tires, and placed a tracking device on her car. These allegations are outlined in a plea agreement and memorandum filed in court.
It was not until December 15, 2020, that the woman discovered the tracking device when both of her dogs were stolen by Waters from her vehicle parked outside a Boise Home Depot. The device was found concealed near a passenger side tire by a mechanic, according to the memorandum.
In addition to stalking his wife, Waters is also accused of setting her car on fire during the nearly three months of harassment. He is further alleged to have set their shared Oregon home on fire on two separate occasions and sent a series of harassing emails.
On August 25, Waters pleaded guilty to interstate stalking as announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho in a news release.
Mike French, the attorney representing Waters, declined to comment on the matter.
Prosecutors claim that Waters violated a civil protection order obtained by his wife in Oregon during the stalking incidents.
Waters was arrested by the Boise Police Department on December 24, 2020, on a felony stalking charge, just two days before his divorce from his wife was finalized, according to the memorandum.
After being held in state custody on a $1,000,000 bond, Waters appeared in federal court in April 2021, where he was charged with interstate stalking.
If convicted, Waters could face up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 at his sentencing hearing scheduled for November 8.
Wallowa, where Waters resides, is located approximately 215 miles northwest of Boise. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
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