PHOENIX – A Phoenix man accused of repeatedly stalking and harassing two female victims has been sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison followed by a 20-year term of probation. Donald Lee Scott (D.O.B. 7-31-1962) pled guilty to one count of stalking in each of two separate cases in which he was accused of using a GPS device to secretly track the movements of two former girlfriends.
“The substantial term of probation along with a term of incarceration imposed in this case is appropriate given the level of emotional distress the Defendant caused his victims and the threat he posed to the community,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. “His sentence also ensures that any future offenses will be met with severe penalties including additional significant incarceration. The message to the Defendant should be clear: quit stalking women or lose your freedom.”
On January 7, 2013, Donald Scott was arrested for repeated violations of an order of protection obtained by his former girlfriend of eight years. Scott had also sought an order of protection against the victim and made several reports to police that she had violated the order by contacting him and firing a weapon at him. Police determined there was no validity to his claims. At the time of his arrest, Scott was found sitting in his car across the street from the victim’s residence with a handgun and a bottle of prescription muscle relaxant pills.
During the course of their investigation, police learned that Scott had purchased a GPS tracking device and had placed it on a vehicle belonging to a friend of the victim who frequently drove the victim to work. He was ultimately charged with aggravated harassment and stalking.
On October 21, 2014, while his case was still pending, Scott was arrested for similar offenses involving a woman he had met through an online dating site. Investigators discovered that he had placed a GPS tracking device on the victim’s vehicle and tracked her movements on his cellular phone. They also learned that Scott would watch the victim from an adjacent apartment complex and send her text messages when she went on her balcony to smoke a cigarette. Police obtained a felony warrant for Scott’s arrest and found him at a Phoenix hotel. He attempted to flee but was taken into custody.
As in the earlier case, Scott was charged with aggravated harassment and stalking. He subsequently waived his right to trial in both matters and agreed to plead guilty to one count of stalking in each case. At his sentencing hearing, Scott claimed that he was a former U.S. Marine who had been wounded in combat, but the Court rejected his assertion after the State produced information that refuted his claim. He was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison, but will receive credit for time served covering nearly all of his term.
Under the conditions of his 20-year probation sentence, Scott is prohibited from contacting his victims and from owning or possessing GPS or surveillance devices. His computer usage will be monitored by the Adult Probation Department and he is not allowed to possess any firearms.
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