KURSON Complaint
KURSON Complaint
KURSON Complaint
F. #2018R01123
---------------------------X
ANDREW TAFF, being duly sworn, deposes and states that he is a Special
Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, duly appointed according to law and acting
as such.
In or about and between November 2015 and December 2015, both dates
being approximate and inclusive, within the Eastern District of New York and elsewhere, the
defendant KENNETH KURSON, also known as “Jayden Wagner” and “Eddie Train,” with
the intent to harass, intimidate and place under surveillance with intent to harass and
intimidate, did knowingly and intentionally use the mail, an interactive computer service, an
commerce and a facility of interstate commerce to engage in a course of conduct that caused,
2
attempted to cause and would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress
to one or more individuals, to wit: Individual No. 1, Individual No. 2 and Individual No. 3.
The source of your deponent’s information and the grounds for his belief are
as follows:1
and have been for approximately five years. I am assigned to the FBI’s New York Field
corruption. I am familiar with the facts and circumstances set forth below from my
participation in the investigation and from my review of the investigative file and reports of
The Investigation
connection with his potential appointment to a position with an independent federal agency
penalties under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. In the Questionnaire and in
other materials submitted in connection with his potential appointment, KURSON made
1
Because the purpose of this Complaint is to set forth only those facts
necessary to establish probable cause to arrest, I have not described all the relevant facts and
circumstances of which I am aware.
3
multiple false statements and misrepresentations, including falsely certifying that he had
KURSON in connection with the Potential Appointment. During the course of that
KURSON had used the mail, interactive computer services, electronic communication
interstate commerce to stalk and harass Individual No. 1, Individual No. 2 and Individual No.
3 (collectively, the “Victims”) between approximately November 2015 and December 2015.
criminal investigation into this activity. During the course of the investigation, FBI Special
Agents interviewed numerous individuals involved in the underlying events that transpired
between approximately September 2015 and December 2015. From these interviews and
other evidence gathered during the course of the investigation, FBI Special Agents learned
that, during this time period, KURSON was engaged in divorce proceedings and blamed
threatened to ruin Individual No. 1’s reputation and engaged in a pattern of stalking and
harassment against Individual No. 1. As part of these efforts, KURSON also harassed
Individual No. 2, who was a co-worker and supervisor of Individual No. 1, and Individual
2
Prior to the onset of KURSON’s harassment of Individual No. 1, KURSON
had been friends with Individual No. 1 for more than twenty years.
4
No. 3, the spouse of Individual No. 2. On information and belief, KURSON has never met
evidence revealing that KURSON’s pattern of abuse against the Victims included, among
other conduct, using the aliases “Jayden Wagner” (the “Jayden Wagner Alias”) and “Eddie
Train” (the “Eddie Train Alias”) (collectively, the “Aliases”) to file false complaints about
Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 with their employer (the “Employer”), using the
Aliases to post false negative reviews on multiple crowd-sourced review websites about
Individual No. 1’s purportedly deficient provision of services to “Jayden Wagner” and
traveling on multiple occasions to the workplace of Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 for
no legitimate purpose.3
blamed his impending divorce on Individual No. 1’s “freedom agenda,” claiming that
Individual No. 1 had been pushing to “split[] up [KURSON’s] family.” Later that day,
Individual No. 1 replied, denying KURSON’s accusation and stating, in part, “Unfortunately,
3
FBI Special Agents have also obtained evidence revealing that KURSON
engaged in a similar pattern of harassment in relation to his divorce proceedings against other
individuals between approximately September 2015 and December 2015, including by
accessing email accounts and social media accounts without their knowledge or
authorization; installing software on one individual’s computer to monitor that individual’s
keystrokes and website usage without his/her knowledge or authorization; using aliases to
contact their employer and levy false allegations of misconduct, including a false allegation
of improper contact with a minor; and using aliases to mail packages to those individuals and
their employers.
5
you have no one to blame but yourself. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but true.” KURSON
subsequently emailed Individual No. 1 and stated: “Please don’t email me again.”
Alias and the email address [email protected] (the “Jayden Wagner Email
Account”), emailed Individual No. 3’s employer, a news media publication, and stated that
he “need[ed] to reach [Individual No. 3] via email regarding a personal matter. I assure you,
[Individual No. 3] will want to hear what I have to say – very newsworthy and [Individual
No. 3] knows me from [Individual No. 3’s former employer]. Can you ask [Individual No. 3]
to please email me at [the Jayden Wagner Email Account]. Thank you, Jayden Wagner.”
KURSON’s representation that he knew Individual No. 3 from Individual No. 3’s former
employer was false, as KURSON had never met, interacted or otherwise associated with
Individual No. 3. Individual No. 3’s employer did not respond to KURSON’s email.
9. That same day, KURSON, using the Jayden Wagner Alias and the
Jayden Wagner Email Account, registered an account at Yelp.com, a website that publishes
maintained by Yelp.com identify the Internet Protocol address used to register the Jayden
Wagner Yelp Account. According to records obtained during the course of this
investigation, that Internet Protocol address, during the relevant time period, belonged to
KURSON’s employer, indicating that KURSON registered the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account
6
using the internet services registered to KURSON’s employer and did so from a location in
Manhattan.4
10. Records maintained by Google reflect that, during the relevant time
period, the Jayden Wagner Email Account received email newsletters from KURSON’s
11. As further discussed in paragraphs 24, 32, 33, 34, 36 and 41, FBI
Special Agents obtained additional evidence establishing that KURSON was the user of the
Jayden Wagner Alias and the Jayden Wagner Email Account, including, but not limited to:
(i) Yelp.com records reflecting use of the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account on internet services
maintained by KURSON’s employer; (ii) email records reflecting that KURSON sent
himself a copy of a negative review of Individual No. 1 posted by the Jayden Wagner Yelp
Account; (iii) surveillance video recordings demonstrating that KURSON was the individual
who took a photograph attached to a negative review posted by the Jayden Wagner Yelp
Account; (iv) Yelp.com records reflecting interactions between the Jayden Wagner Yelp
Account and another Yelp.com account maintained by KURSON; and (v) email records
reflecting that the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account and a Facebook.com account associated
with the Jayden Wagner Email Account were closed on the same day that KURSON was
4
According to a Yelp.com representative, information submitted to its website
by users are transmitted from a user’s device to Yelp.com computer servers, none of which
are housed in New York City. As a result, when KURSON registered the Jayden Wagner
Yelp Account, KURSON electronically transmitted that registration information from
Manhattan across the waters surrounding New York County to Yelp.com computer servers.
7
and reiterated that Individual No. 1 had not induced KURSON’s impending divorce. In his
response, KURSON described Individual No. 1 as a “completely full of shit phony who lies
through [Individual No. 1’s] teeth and is also stupid. . . . You are the biggest liar I have ever
met. . . . [E]verything you touch turns to shit. . . . Please don’t ever email me again. That’s
the second time I’m asking. There’s not going to be a third time. Fuck you. Forever. Got it?”
13. That same day, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and the email
Individual No. 3. In that email, KURSON falsely represented that he worked with
Individual No. 3’s husband, Individual No. 2, at the Employer. KURSON also falsely
represented that he previously attended high school with Individual No. 2. KURSON then
claimed to Individual No. 3 that Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 were engaged in an
14. The email service provider for the Eddie Train Proton Mail Account
was Proton Mail, an end-to-end encrypted email service based outside the United States.
Bank records obtained during the course of this investigation reflect that KURSON paid
Proton Mail $17.00 on or about November 5, 2015, the same day that the first email was sent
for the Jayden Wagner Email Account was the Eddie Train Proton Account reflecting that
the same individual, namely KURSON, was the user of both accounts.
5
During the course of its investigation, FBI special agents did not obtain any
evidence to substantiate this allegation by KURSON.
8
No. 2 and other employees at the Employer that KURSON had been “sending threatening
emails and saying he’ll ‘ruin me.’” Individual No. 1 further stated: “Can you please ask the
front desk [at the Employer] not to tell [customers] over the phone when I am working? Also
if there are weird complaints against me, let me know and I will make sure I actually saw the
[customer]. . . . [KURSON] has been very destructive to other’s careers and reputations and I
value both greatly. I’m sorry to have to send such an email. This is very embarrassing.”
17. On or about November 8, 2015, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias
and the Eddie Train Proton Account, contacted Individual No. 3 again and asked Individual
indicated to Individual No. 3 that, if Individual No. 3 did not confirm receipt, he would send
the “sensitive email” to email addresses associated with Individual No. 3’s former employer.
18. That same day, Individual No. 2 and Individual No. 3 provided
KURSON’s November 5, 2015 and November 8, 2015 correspondence with Individual No. 3
to a senior employee at the Employer and thanked the senior employee for her “assistance
19. On or about November 9, 2015, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias
and the Eddie Train Proton Account, again contacted Individual No. 3. KURSON advised
Individual No. 3 that, if Individual No. 3 did not respond to him, he would contact a
supervisor at the Employer, again falsely representing that he was employed with Individual
No. 1 and Individual No. 2 at the Employer. KURSON further claimed to Individual No. 3
that he had contacted multiple individuals at Individual No. 3’s former employer in his
9
efforts to reach Individual No. 3. KURSON falsely claimed that his “working situation [at
the Employer had] been made impossible by th[e] ongoing relationship” between Individual
No. 2 and Individual No. 1.” KURSON finally stated to Individual No. 3 that he would be
Employer via email and stated that the claim by the user of the Eddie Train Proton Account,
namely KURSON, had contacted Individual No. 3’s “close former colleagues, involving my
21. That same day, Individual No. 2 emailed a senior employee at the
Employer that Eddie Train appeared to be a “fictitious” person, as it was “certainly not the
name of an employee” at the Employer, nor was there any “employee who fits the
description in the email – i.e. no employee who knows me from high school.”
22. Subsequently, that same day, Individual No. 3 emailed KURSON at the
Eddie Train Proton Mail Account and stated that Individual No. 3 had referred KURSON’s
claims to the Employer. Individual No. 3 further stated: “These emails are harassing and I
will not respond further. Cease and desist any further emails to me or my family
immediately.” Later that day, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and the Eddie Train
Proton Account, replied that he would bring his allegations directly to the attention of the
23. That same day, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and the Eddie
Train Proton Account, emailed a senior employee at the Employer. In the email, KURSON
falsely claimed that he worked with Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 at the Employer
and, further, falsely asserted that he had known Individual No. 2 for several years, originally
10
attending the same high school as Individual No. 2. KURSON further alleged that
Individual No. 2 was engaged in an illicit sexual relationship with Individual No. 1.
KURSON also alleged that Individual No. 1 had “all but stalked” Individual No. 2, and
falsely claimed that he had “seen them embracing at work.” KURSON, falsely purporting
to be an employee at the Employer, alleged that “the disruption that this [illicit sexual
relationship between Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2] is causing here is difficult to
explain. . . . But the situation is out of hand. . . . [H]onestly, it’s [Individual No. 1’s] fault.”
24. On or about November 10, 2015, KURSON, using the Jayden Wagner
Alias and the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account, posted a negative review of services provided
by Individual No. 1. In the review, KURSON falsely claimed that he had brought his sister
to the Employer on or about October 24, 2015. KURSON falsely claimed that he and his
sister received “inexcusable rude treatment” from Individual No. 1. KURSON further
falsely claimed that, during the course of this purported visit with Individual No. 1,
KURSON observed that Individual No. 1 was “sick as a dog.” KURSON further falsely
stated that Individual No. 1 admitted to KURSON that Individual No. 1 “had come down
with pneumonia earlier in the week,” but had “snapped at [KURSON] that [Individual No. 1]
crankier . . . person” in Individual No. 1’s profession and that the purported visit with
Yelp.com, this negative review of Individual No. 1 was posted to Yelp.com from an Internet
Protocol address that, during the relevant time period, belonged to KURSON’s employer,
11
indicating that KURSON had submitted the negative review using internet services
25. That same day, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and the Eddie
Train Proton Account, emailed a senior employee at the Employer and falsely alleged that
another co-worker of his at the Employer “want[ed] to complain [about the alleged illicit
sexual relationship between Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2] as well.” KURSON
further asked: “Will we know if action is being taken or just assume that it’s out of our hands
now? Do we have any ‘right’ to know what’s being done, if anything?” In a subsequent
email to the senior employee, KURSON falsely claimed that the co-worker at the Employer
no longer “want[ed] to contact you. . . . But she did tell me some additional details that give
color to the existence of the inappropriate relationship” between Individual No. 1 and
Individual No. 2. Among other things, KURSON alleged that Individual No. 1 and
Individual No. 2 had watched a baseball game together and then slept together at Individual
No. 1’s apartment. KURSON alleged that the illicit sexual relationship between Individual
No. 1 and Individual No. 2 was “creating havoc” at the Employer where KURSON falsely
claimed to work.
employee at the Employer, in which Individual No. 1 advised that Individual No. 1 had read
the negative review posted by KURSON on Yelp.com on November 10, 2015, and
6
As previously discussed, because Yelp.com computer servers are not housed
in New York City, when KURSON submitted a negative review to Yelp.com from a location
in Manhattan, KURSON electronically transmitted that information across the waters
surrounding New York County to Yelp.com computer servers.
12
concluded that the author was “definitely” KURSON. Individual No. 1 further advised that,
approximately two weeks earlier, Individual No. 1 had falsely stated to KURSON that
Individual No. 1 could not attend his birthday party because Individual No. 1 “was ill with
KURSON in the negative review of Individual 1 posted on Yelp.com on November 10, 2015.
Individual No. 1 stated that, as a result of KURSON’s actions, it had been “[a] real nice
humiliating day.”
27. That same day, Individual No. 1 emailed another senior employee at
the Employer and stated that it was “very embarrassing that [KURSON was] causing this
much harassment.” Individual No. 1 further stated that KURSON was “clearly” the author
of the negative review posted on November 10, 2015, as KURSON was “the only person
[Individual No. 1] said [that Individual No. 1 had pneumonia and was on intravenous fluids]
to in order to get out of his birthday party as any other excuse would be seen as an affront,
and I was growing more concerned about his increasingly erratic behavior.” Individual
No. 1 represented that Individual No. 1 had “never mentioned this to [anyone receiving
services from Individual No. 1] because [Individual No. 1 was] not sick or receiving
[intravenous] fluids.” Individual No. 1 stated that Kurson “clearly want[ed] to destroy
[Individual No. 1].” Individual No. 1 further noted that KURSON had previously used
7
According to Individual No. 1, Individual No. 1 had decided not to attend
KURSON’s birthday party because KURSON had recently taken certain actions against
another individual, Individual No. 4, that had left Individual No. 4 “upset and humiliated.”
13
Individual No. 4 being fired.8 Individual No. 1 also advised the employee: (i) that
KURSON would “escalate . . . any confrontation”; (ii) that Individual No. 1 would contact
law enforcement officers the following day regarding KURSON’s harassment of Individual
No. 1; and (iii) that the day had been “extremely upsetting and humiliating.”
28. That same day, Individual No. 2 emailed a senior employee at the
Employer, in which Individual No. 2 discussed the “very negative review” relating to
Individual No. 1 posted by KURSON on Yelp.com on November 10, 2015. Individual No.
2 stated that “the timing raises suspicions” and that Individual No. 2 believed the review to
be “malicious” because the author of the negative review posted to Yelp.com on November
10, 2015 was identified as Jayden Wagner, which was the same name used by the individual
who contacted Individual No. 3’s employer on November 3, 2015. Individual No. 2
concluded: “I don’t know who Jayden Wagner is, but he seems to be part of this bizarre
scheme to defame myself, [Individual No. 1], and now the [Employer].”
29. That same day, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and the Eddie
Train Proton Account, emailed a senior employee at the Employer and asked: “How will I
know if anything is being done about [the alleged illicit sexual relationship between
Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2]?” KURSON also claimed that “[e]ven more
information ha[d] come to light” regarding his allegations about Individual No. 1 and
Individual No. 2, although he did not provide further detail. After a senior employee offered
to speak with KURSON on a telephone call, KURSON replied that he was afraid Individual
8
During the course of its investigation, FBI special agents obtained evidence
corroborating that KURSON had also used aliases to levy false allegations of misconduct
against Individual No. 4 and another individual, Individual No. 5, to their employer.
14
No. 2 would “recognize my voice! You promised me anonymity! I’m already afraid of
employees at the Employer that Individual No. 1 had received numerous anonymous
telephone calls the previous evening, in which the caller would immediately disconnect the
call after Individual No. 1 answered. According to Individual No. 1, while some of these
anonymous telephone calls were made to Individual No. 1’s personal cellular telephone,
others were made to Individual No. 1’s apartment telephone, which could only receive
telephone calls from individuals using telephones inside the apartment building. That same
day, Individual No. 1 filed a complaint with the New York City Police Department that
31. On or about November 13, 2015, KURSON, using the Eddie Train
Alias and the Eddie Train Proton Account, emailed senior employees at the Employer,
during which he falsely alleged that a co-worker at the Employer had reported to KURSON
that Individual No. 1 had “browbeat[en]” another employee at the Employer “about whether
[Individual No. 1] thought [Individual No. 2] would ever leave [Individual No. 3].”
captured KURSON entering the workplace of Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 at
approximately 2:52 PM. On the surveillance video recording, KURSON appeared to use his
cellular telephone to take photographs of the lobby of the building, after which he departed
the location. Based on information gathered during the course of this investigation, there
does not appear to be any legitimate reason for KURSON to have traveled to the workplace
33. That same day, KURSON sent an email to himself titled “[Employer]
review.” In the email, KURSON pasted a copy of the negative review KURSON had posted
on Yelp.com on November 10, 2015 of Individual No. 1 using the Jayden Wagner Yelp
Account.
34. On or about November 17, 2015, KURSON, using the alias Jayden
Wagner and the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account, posted another negative review of Individual
No. 1’s services on Yelp.com. The substance of the negative review posted by KURSON
on Yelp.com using the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account on November 17, 2015 was identical to
the substance of the negative review posted by KURSON on Yelp.com using the Jayden
Wagner Yelp Account on November 10, 2015. However, in the negative review posted by
dated November 16, 2015, of the lobby of Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2’s
approximately 2:54 PM, which is consistent with the surveillance video recordings on
November 16, 2015, capturing KURSON entering the building lobby of the Employer at
approximately 2:52 PM and taking a photograph using his cellular telephone. Further, the
photograph depicts a receptionist sitting in the lobby of the building wearing particular
clothing, which is consistent with the surveillance video recordings on November 16, 2015,
capturing the same receptionist wearing identical clothing when KURSON entered the
35. Later that day, a senior employee at the Employer emailed Individual
No. 2 and another senior employee at the Employer and stated: “This is a little scary that he
was in the office and we don’t know who this person is. . . . Is there any way to find out who
16
this Wagner person is? . . . I am very concerned now that he posted a picture inside” the
building lobby.
2015 and November 18, 2015, the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account posted ten reviews of
unrelated businesses. Then, KURSON, using the Ken Kurson Yelp Account, voted that the
review posted by the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account was “useful, funny, or cool.” KURSON
was the only individual to vote in this manner. The interaction between the Ken Kurson
Yelp Account and the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account further establishes that KURSON was
the user of the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account and the Jayden Wagner Alias.
37. On or about November 23, 2015, KURSON, using the Jayden Wagner
Alias and the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account, posted another negative review of Individual
No. 1’s services on Yelp.com. The substance of the negative review posted by KURSON
on Yelp.com using the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account on November 23, 2015 was almost
identical to the substance of the negative reviews posted by KURSON on Yelp.com using the
Jayden Wagner Yelp Account on November 10, 2015 and November 17, 2015.
entering the workplace of Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 at approximately 7:44 PM.
Individual No. 1 was present. After being advised that Individual No. 1 was not available,
KURSON departed the location. Based on information gathered during the course of this
investigation, there does not appear to be any legitimate reason for KURSON to have
KURSON’s visit, the Employer hired security personnel to guard the lobby of the workplace
39. Later that same evening, KURSON, using the Eddie Train Alias and
the Eddie Train Proton Account, emailed two senior employees at the Employer and asked
for “updates” regarding his allegations of an illicit sexual relationship between Individual
No. 1 and Individual No. 2, and asked them whether KURSON should assume they were “on
employees at the Employer that, “after significant online abuses including accusations
emailed to others about [Individual No. 4], [Individual No. 4] has obtained a restraining
order [against KURSON] and is leaving the state.”9 Individual No. 1 cautioned that, as a
result, “there may be an increase in activity from him focused toward me.” Individual No. 1
specifically identified KURSON as the individual engaged in the harassment activity against
Individual No. 1. A senior employee replied to Individual No. 1 that the Employer was
taking action “to protect the [Employer] and its employees (including you),” and offered to
harassment. Individual No. 1 replied that Individual No. 1 had already scheduled to move
residences. Individual No. 1 further stated: “My email was hacked 2 days ago with my lease
agreement being the first thing in there, so he probably knows that address anyway. I can’t
hide forever. . . . I honestly have no idea what to do about this. I’ve never experienced or
9
According to official records obtained during the course of this investigation,
Individual No. 4 did obtain a temporary restraining order against KURSON that day.
18
41. On or about the same day that KURSON was served with a temporary
restraining order by Individual No. 4, KURSON closed the Jayden Wagner Yelp Account
and deleted an account at Facebook.com, a social media website, associated with the Jayden
November 24, 2015, the Employer retained an investigative consulting firm to assist in their
mail at Individual No. 2’s workplace from KURSON, who was using the Jayden Wagner
Alias. In the letter, KURSON reiterated the false allegations that he had previously made in
the negative reviews he had posted about Individual No. 1 to Yelp.com using the Jayden
Wagner Yelp Account on November 10, 2015; November 17, 2015; and November 23, 2015.
However, KURSON also included additional allegations that Individual No. 1 had told
KURSON and his sister, while they were receiving services from Individual No. 1, that
Individual No. 2 was “falling in love with” Individual No. 1, and that the illicit sexual
relationship between Individual No. 1 and Individual No. 2 had turned into a “love triangle,”
given Individual No. 2’s marriage to Individual No. 3. KURSON further added that
Individual No. 1 was “rude and curt and a perfect example of why [persons engaged in
Individual No. 1’s profession] get called arrogant. . . . [I]t’s the rude tone and the
unprofessionalism [of Individual No. 1] that bothered my sister and I.” KURSON identified
himself in the letter as “Jayden L. Wagner,” signed it “J” and listed the Jayden Wagner Email
Account as his contact information. Individual No. 2 provided a copy of the letter to senior
fact case substantial emotional distress to the Victims. The Victims variously described
No. 1 reported KURSON’s harassment to the New York City Police Department, and the
KENNETH KURSON, also known as “Jayden Wagner” and “Eddie Train,” be dealt with
according to law.
ANDREW TAFF
Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
___ _____________
TH EVY
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK