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Las Vegas, Nevada – A federal jury has convicted Latonia Smith of cyberstalking and threatening two federal judges and a probation officer — all of whom had played roles in her prior criminal case involving death threats against attorneys. The verdict, delivered after less than a day of deliberation, marks the latest chapter in a years-long cycle of legal conflict that began with a workplace grievance and spiraled into a sustained campaign of intimidation targeting the federal judiciary.
Smith, a biochemistry graduate from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, was previously convicted in 2021 of threatening corporate attorneys connected to the firing of her mother from a housekeeping job at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. That case resulted in a 36-month prison sentence. But her threats didn’t stop when the prison term ended. While on supervised release, Smith allegedly began plotting revenge against those who had overseen her conviction and post-incarceration supervision.
Prosecutors presented evidence that after being granted bail in June 2022, Smith used online searches to track personal information about U.S. District Judges Richard Boulware and Jennifer Dorsey, along with her probation officer, Shawn Mummey. Her internet history revealed disturbing searches such as “how to become a bomb maker,” “judges die,” and “how to be a mass shooter.” She also repeatedly watched video footage of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting at Mandalay Bay.
What began as online fixation escalated into explicit threats. On June 23, Smith emailed Mummey: “Life is short, society should be careful who they piss off,” linking to a YouTube video of the mass shooting. In subsequent days, she sent a string of emails escalating the menace. One read, “LET THE SHOW BEGIN. NEVADA IS GOING TO LOVE THIS!!!!” Another, directed at a judge, noted chilling familiarity: “Henderson is nice… Lots of shops nearby. Smart.”
At trial, Judge Dorsey testified she sold her home after Smith identified its location. Judge Gloria Navarro told the jury she reported Smith’s threats to federal authorities out of fear for her life and that of her family and colleagues.
Smith was taken into custody on June 27, 2022, after FBI agents interviewed her. When asked what she thought while researching mass shooters, she replied: “I think what they were thinking.”
The jury convicted Smith on three counts of cyberstalking but acquitted her on two others. She remains in custody awaiting sentencing. The case was tried by a specially appointed judge from Oregon after the entire Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office was recused in March 2024.
