The man who stalked Caitlin Clark is Michael Thomas Lewis, a 55-year-old from Denton, Texas. He pleaded guilty to felony stalking and misdemeanor harassment after sending Clark more than 800 threatening and sexually explicit messages over roughly a month, and on July 28, 2025, a Marion County judge sentenced him to two and a half years in the Indiana Department of Correction.1NBC News. Caitlin Clark Stalker Sentenced
Who Michael Thomas Lewis Is and What He Did
Between December 12, 2024, and January 11, 2025, Lewis sent Clark hundreds of messages on X. Court documents described them as sexually violent and said they included threats of sexual battery, serious bodily injury, and death.2Fox 59. Texas Man Gets 2.5 Years in Prison for Sending 800 Threatening Messages to Caitlin Clark In some of the messages, Lewis claimed to be driving past Clark’s home multiple times a day and buying tickets to sit behind the Indiana Fever bench.3ESPN. Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison for Stalking Caitlin Clark He had driven roughly 13 hours from Texas to Indianapolis to be near her.4The Athletic. Athlete Stalking Cases in WNBA, Tennis, NFL, and College Sports
How Police Tracked and Arrested Him
Investigators used Lewis’s IP address to link his online activity to the Hilton Garden hotel at 120 West Market Street in Indianapolis and a local public library branch.5NBC News. Caitlin Clark Stalking Arrest Indianapolis police conducted a welfare check on him at the hotel on January 8, 2025. He told officers he was in the city “on vacation” and said his posts were made for “just the same reason everybody makes posts.”6ABC News. Caitlin Clark Stalker Sentenced When officers pressed him on the threats, Lewis denied writing them and said he was in “an imaginary relationship” with Clark.3ESPN. Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison for Stalking Caitlin Clark
He kept messaging Clark after that contact. He was arrested in Indianapolis on Sunday, January 12, 2025.5NBC News. Caitlin Clark Stalking Arrest Clark told law enforcement she was fearful after receiving the messages and learning Lewis was in the city.2Fox 59. Texas Man Gets 2.5 Years in Prison for Sending 800 Threatening Messages to Caitlin Clark
The Initial Hearing
Lewis appeared before Marion County Judge Angela Davis on January 14, 2025. He disrupted the proceeding almost immediately, sitting back and declaring “guilty as charged” before it had formally begun. Davis told him, “You have a right to remain silent, and I expect you to exercise that on me,” and eventually ordered him to stop talking. She entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, explaining she would not accept a guilty plea at an initial hearing, and assigned him a public defender.7ESPN. Alleged Caitlin Clark Stalker Held on $50K Bail
He was held on $50,000 bail. The court also issued a stay-away order barring him from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse and ordering no contact with Clark. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears had requested a bond higher than the standard amount and sought the venue restrictions.8The Indiana Lawyer. Texas Man Charged With Stalking Caitlin Clark Arrested in Indianapolis
The Guilty Plea and Sentence
On July 28, 2025, Lewis pleaded guilty to one count of stalking, a Level 6 felony under Indiana law, and one misdemeanor count of harassment. Judge Davis sentenced him to two and a half years in the Indiana Department of Correction on the stalking count, with credit for the 197 days he had already spent in the Marion County Adult Detention Center.1NBC News. Caitlin Clark Stalker Sentenced He received a separate 180-day suspended sentence on the harassment count.9The Athletic. Caitlin Clark Stalker Michael Lewis Sentenced
The sentence carries several conditions:
- No contact of any kind with Clark.
- Stay away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indiana Fever events, and Indiana Pacers organization events.
- No internet access for the duration of the sentence.
- Mental health treatment, which Judge Davis recommended, telling Lewis, “You can’t help yourself until you get help.”
- A recommendation that Lewis return to Texas on release.3ESPN. Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced to Prison for Stalking Caitlin Clark
Lewis was erratic at sentencing too. He told the court that “the end of the world was coming” and insisted he had never threatened Clark, saying he was trying to “point out holes in her security.” Judge Davis cut him off and warned that his comments could breach the plea bargain, which required him to accept responsibility.10BBC. Caitlin Clark Stalker Sentenced With time-served credit, his projected release falls in mid-2027, and no appeals or post-sentencing motions have been publicly reported.9The Athletic. Caitlin Clark Stalker Michael Lewis Sentenced
Why the Sentence Was Two and a Half Years
Under Indiana Code ยง 35-45-10-1, stalking is a knowing or intentional course of conduct involving two or more incidents of repeated or continuing harassment that would cause, and does cause, emotional distress. A basic stalking charge is a Level 6 felony, punishable by up to two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. When the conduct includes explicit or implicit threats of sexual battery, serious bodily injury, or death, the charge can be elevated to a Level 5 felony carrying one to six years.11Eskew Law. Stalking Charges Lewis pleaded to the Level 6 version, and the two and a half years he received is the maximum that level allows.