Federal authorities in Boston have arrested and indicted John Anthony Proia III, a 41-year-old Massachusetts man, for cyberstalking conservative podcaster Katie Miller, the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Proia allegedly sent over 40 menacing calls and texts to Miller and vulgar messages to her parents. The case caused internal friction at the FBI, leading to the demotion of two senior counterterrorism officials in Washington after the Millers complained about the pace of the probe.
Proia cyberstalking charges
- ▪John Anthony Proia III pleaded not guilty to the cyberstalking charge during an initial court hearing in Boston on October 1, 2026
- ▪John Anthony Proia III, a 41-year-old military veteran from Waltham, Massachusetts, was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on October 1, 2026, on one count of cyberstalking
- ▪A federal indictment filed in Boston against John Anthony Proia III did not name the victims, but sources confirmed they are conservative podcaster and former political adviser Katie Miller and her husband, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
Threatening messages to Millers
- ▪John Anthony Proia III allegedly targeted Katie Miller with more than 40 calls and text messages between August 3 and September 23, 2026, often late at night and using expletives and a menacing tone
- ▪John Anthony Proia III allegedly posted online encouraging others to place late-night prank calls to government officials and noted, according to court documents, that an online directory allowed latitude in finding phone numbers and addresses
- ▪John Anthony Proia III allegedly used a Voice over Internet Protocol system to hide his identity and generate an ever-changing series of unfamiliar phone numbers to contact Katie Miller
Contact with victims' parents
- ▪John Anthony Proia III allegedly sent a text message to Katie Miller's father asking if he raised his daughter to be trash and hoping her marriage to a 'Jewish Nazi/white supremacist' was working out
- ▪John Anthony Proia III allegedly sent text messages to Katie Miller's parents, including one to her mother calling Stephen Miller 'evil' and asking if it disturbed her that her daughter married him
FBI agents demoted
- ▪Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, stated that the reassignments of two senior counterterrorism officials were a local personnel decision based on mission needs and were not ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel
- ▪An FBI counterterrorism team in Washington and investigators in Boston initially expressed reservations and determined that the harassment matter involving Katie Miller did not warrant further investigation
Katie Miller public response
- ▪Katie Miller posted on X on October 1, 2026, thanking Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, and the FBI's Washington Field Office for keeping her family safe
- ▪The cyberstalking case against John Anthony Proia III marks at least the second time Katie Miller has sought federal law enforcement intervention, following a 2025 incident where activist Barbara Wien distributed flyers featuring Stephen Miller near their home
Debatable claims
- ▪The FBI should prioritize investigating non-physical harassment targeting families of public officials
- ▪The demotion of FBI officials over the Katie Miller investigation was justified
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