Mislich Denied Release Ahead of Trial

A former Altamont man has been denied release ahead of his trial on federal charges of computer-related harassment and extortion.

23-year-old Stephen Mislich of Bowling Green, Ohio, was arrested due to allegations he engaged in a pattern of terrorizing women via hacked online accounts, misappropriating sexually oriented photos of these women and attempting to obtain further sexually oriented pictures and videos from the women by coercion and blackmail. Mislich faces up to two years in federal prison on each of the two extortion charges against him, and up to five years in federal prison on each of the two harassment charges against him. He also faces a potential fine of $250,000 on each of the four counts against him.

Mislich was indicted by a Federal grand jury on October 7. It's alleged he contacted almost 270 men and women using a hijacked Facebook profile of one of his alleged victims. The information in the indictment alleges more than 100 men either sent pictures or traded pictures with Mislich.

In court Wednesday, Judge Staci Yandle denied a defense request that Mislich be released until his trial and ordered Mislich to remain in custody until his trial, which is scheduled for February 9 in US District Court in Benton. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 22.