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An eight-count indictment charging New Jersey resident Herman Brightman of West New York, also known as "Nazir Griffiths" and "Nazir Luckett," with kidnapping, cyberstalking, and more has been returned by a grand jury, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday, Dec. 11.
According to federal officials, between January 2022 and September 2023, Brightman used social media platforms such as Facebook and the dating application Hinge to meet and occasionally date several women.
While using these platforms, Brightman allegedly used fake names and posed as a nurse or nurse practitioner who worked in hospitals in the New York City area. As part of the ruse, Brightman would send pictures and videos of himself wearing scrubs and labcoats and would also create fake identifications for himself, officials said.
After meeting his victims, Brightman would begin acting violently toward them, especially if they tried to leave the relationship. In total, Brightman brutalized at least four women in Mount Vernon, Queens, the Bronx, and New Jersey, according to officials.
During the first instance in July 2022, Brightman traveled from New Jersey to New York and forced a victim who had decided to break up with him and her young child to drive to his New Jersey residence while threatening them at knifepoint. Once there, Brightman allegedly threatened to kill the victim if she “made any problems” and held on to her for an entire evening to stop her from escaping.
The next morning, the victim was able to escape and contact police after she was able to convince Brightman to let her leave temporarily.
The second such incident happened in August 2023, when Brightman brutally attacked a Queens woman that he had been dating inside her home and then held her at knifepoint. During the attack, he threatened to "gut" the victim "like a fish" and bound her hands while also taping her mouth shut, officials said.
A week after the attack, the victim ended her relationship with Brightman, leading to him calling her more than 20 times over 24 hours, including from private blocked numbers. During one of these calls, Brightman allegedly threatened the victim.
The third instance happened in early September 2023, when Brightman traveled to the Bronx and used his phone to lure a victim into his car. He then forced this woman to call one of his prior victims and punched her, leaving a bruise on her arm. When she tried escaping, Brightman chased after her and put her in a chokehold. The victim was later able to escape back into her building and call police, federal officials said.
Days later, Brightman returned to the Bronx and found this victim at her job. During the ensuing confrontation, he asked her if she had contacted police before following her home, pushing her to the ground, and throwing a traffic cone at her, according to officials.
The fourth incident occurred in late September when Brightman again returned to the Bronx and convinced a fourth woman to let him into her home. Inside, he allegedly assaulted and strangled her, leaving her with bruising on her neck. He also threatened to kill her before attempting to rape her. However, the victim was able to escape with help from her friend, officials said.
Brightman is now charged with:
- One count of kidnapping a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison;
- One count of threatening physical harm by interstate communication, which carries a maximum sentence of five years;
- One count of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison;
- Two counts of kidnapping, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years;
- Two counts of travel in interstate commerce to commit a crime of violence, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years;
- One count of travel in interstate commerce to stalk, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
US Attorney Damian Williams commented on the indictment, saying, "Today’s charges put a stop to this abusive and violent behavior. We thank and commend the courageous women who came forward to report Brightman."
Anyone else who has been victimized by Brightman or has any more information about his behavior is asked to contact the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900.
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