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Fred Mastroianni, of White Plains, and Doreen Mastroianni, of Yorktown Heights, have been charged with cyberstalking, extortion, and conspiracy to commit extortion, according to an indictment unsealed by federal officials.
The pair allegedly targeted "Victim-1" by threatening to release sexually explicit photos and videos unless the victim complied with their demands, which included contributing to Fred’s commissary account in prison and funding a life insurance policy benefiting him, according to a complaint unsealed Thursday, Dec. 5.
Mr. Mastroianni, 54, was sentenced to 35 years in prison last August, for grooming a young victim over the course of several years, as reported by Daily Voice. His sister, Doreen Mastroianni, 69, of Yorktown Heights, New York, allegedly assisted in executing the scheme, forwarding extortion threats and managing explicit materials stored online.
Federal Investigation Unveils Disturbing Details
The siblings allegedly began the extortion plot in October 2024, with Fred orchestrating the scheme from FCI Otisville using another inmate’s email account to send Doreen draft threats. Investigators said Doreen then forwarded these messages to Victim-1 on Fred’s behalf.
In one email, Fred reportedly wrote, “Send [Victim-1] an email telling them to pay the premium today or the images go public.” Doreen also allegedly asked her son to help copy Fred’s computer files and upload them to Dropbox, which stored explicit content used in the threats.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the siblings preyed on victims in a calculated effort to exploit them financially.
“As alleged, Fred and Doreen Mastroianni cyberstalked and conspired to extort victims by threatening to release compromising images of them, allegedly engaging in this conduct even though Fred is already serving a 35-year prison sentence for receiving, distributing, and producing child pornography,” Williams said.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy called the scheme “beyond appalling.”
“The Mastroianni siblings allegedly preyed on individuals who were victimized by Fred Mastroianni, stalking and conspiring to extort them for their financial benefit,” Dennehy said. “FBI New York will work tirelessly to hold accountable anyone attempting to utilize stalking and extortion for financial gain.”
Charges and Sentencing
Both Fred and Doreen are charged with:
- Cyberstalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
- Interstate extortion, with a maximum sentence of two years.
- Conspiracy to commit interstate extortion, which carries up to five years.
Fred and Doreen are scheduled to appear in federal court in White Plains before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik on Dec. 11, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Margaret N. Vasu, and Courtney Heavey of the Southern District of New York’s White Plains Division.
The FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force is asking potential victims to come forward. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit https://tips.fbi.gov.
The charges contained in the complaint are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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