Who Will Act on Illegal Surveillance?

by Sharon Rondeau

(Apr. 3, 2025) — A Gilroy, CA resident experiencing long-term “cyberstalking,” harassment and constant surveillance has appealed to his county supervisor for help as a result of local law enforcement entities’ silence on the matter.

Various phenomena, including SSID cycling, frequent crank calls and being physically followed home have taken place over more than five years at three locations in two states, the victim has informed authorities, with the perpetrators locking him out of his personal and work email accounts, a Facebook group he joined comprising other “gangstalking” victims, and the AI platform ChatGPT at one point.

The victim has supplied The Post & Email with real-time examples of the SSID cycling he observes when logging on to the internet at his home. To date, he has seen between 7 and 57 SSIDs which appear and disappear over the course of a day, many with names suggesting camera surveillance, mockery and racism. Those containing “TP-Link” suggest a connection to the Chinese router manufacturer of the same name suspected of “hacking” and therefore posing a possible national-security threat, Forbes reported in December, citing an article in The Wall Street Journal.

That article reported, in part:

The router-manufacturer TP-Link, established in China, has roughly 65% of the U.S. market for routers for homes and small businesses. It is also the top choice on Amazon.com, and powers internet communications for the Defense Department and other federal government agencies.

Investigators at the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have opened their own probes into the company, and authorities could ban the sale of TP-Link routers in the U.S. next year, according to people familiar with the matter. An office of the Commerce Department has subpoenaed TP-Link, some of the people said.

Action against the company would likely fall to the incoming Trump administration, which has signaled an aggressive approach to China.

His research as a non-expert, conducted as he is able and often by consulting artificial intelligence, has shown the cycling to be uncommon in residential neighborhoods.

The victim has uploaded his findings of dozens of wi-fi networks centered on each of his three most recent addresses in Hawaii and California to Wigle.net, which continues to display them as reported.

He suspects many, if not all, of the networks cycling in and/or around his home to be part of an illegal wi-fi mesh surveillance system.

According to a 2023 article at stopgangstalking.org, gangstalking “is a disturbing and harmful phenomenon where multiple individuals collaborate to target and harass an individual relentlessly. Victims of gangstalking often endure psychological and emotional distress. In this blog post, we will delve into the tactics employed by gangstalkers, shedding light on methods such as surveillance, intimidation, online harassment, and spreading rumors. Understanding these tactics is essential for recognizing and combatting this form of harassment.”

A post at MyLawQuestions.com expounds on “gang stalking” as “a disturbing phenomenon with real-world implications. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, stalking affects 6-7.5 million people in the U.S. each year, with a subset potentially experiencing the group-based tactics characteristic of gang stalking. While comprehensive statistics on gang stalking specifically are elusive, its impact can be profound, leading to severe psychological distress.”

Writing in Psychology Today in 2020, Dr. Joe Pierre, MD documented “a few real events” involving cyberstalking and “mass manipulation of human behavior”:

A recent New York Times article detailed another real-life case of “cyberstalking” and in-person surveillance by employees at eBay. And yes, a few real events in history, such as the CIA’s MK-Ultra “mind control” program and the FBI’s COINTELPRO surveillance program of the 1950s, have occurred, just as the modern-day mass manipulation of human behavior through social media is a reality in which we all now live.

Of COINTELPRO, the FBI writes:

The FBI began COINTELPRO—short for Counterintelligence Program—in 1956 to disrupt the activities of the Communist Party of the United States. In the 1960s, it was expanded to include a number of other domestic groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Black Panther Party. All COINTELPRO operations were ended in 1971. Although limited in scope (about two-tenths of one percent of the FBI’s workload over a 15-year period), COINTELPRO was later rightfully criticized by Congress and the American people for abridging first amendment rights and for other reasons.

To date, the victim has sent reports of the interference to the Gilroy, CA Police Department; Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office; District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen‘s office and its REACT Task Force; and the offices of U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Zoe Lofgren.

In February he received one telephone call from Chris Berry of REACT but has heard nothing further.

As The Post & Email reported, Rosen’s spokesman, Sean Webby, could not confirm whether any investigation has been or will be opened into the victim’s complaint.

The victim’s letter sent Wednesday to Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, District 1 Supervisor and Board Vice President Sylvia Arenas reads:

Dear Supervisor Arenas,

I am writing to bring to your immediate attention an ongoing criminal surveillance operation targeting my home at 1440 Sunrise Drive, Gilroy, CA 95020. This situation has persisted for several years, and despite my repeated efforts to engage local and federal authorities, I have faced an alarming lack of meaningful action.

The surveillance involves the use of advanced technologies, including SSID cycling, Wi-Fi mesh networks, and potentially Voice to Skull (V2K) technology. These systems are being deployed in my neighborhood, and I am subjected to constant surveillance, harassment, and interference with my daily life. I have made detailed reports to the Gilroy Police Department, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the Santa Clara County REACT Cyber Crime Unit. Notably, Chris Berry from REACT and Sean Webby from the DA’s office are both aware of this situation, yet no action has been taken to my knowledge, and the daily harassment and computer interference continues on a daily basis.

I have also reached out to key government representatives, including Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Adam Schiff. Both offices have been made aware of the situation, but as of now, no formal investigation has been initiated. This lack of response, combined with the continuous harassment, strongly suggests that the perpetrators are aware of my outreach to authorities. The monitoring of the network and the perpetrators’ apparent indifference to law enforcement strongly implies that this operation is occurring with the tacit approval of law enforcement, or at least, that their involvement is being ignored.

In addition to my efforts with U.S. authorities, I am planning to reach out to international bodies, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China, as advised by both Deep Seek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These AI platforms have suggested that, if U.S. authorities continue to refuse to investigate, international investigative bodies may be the only remaining avenue for justice. This is a last resort, but I am prepared to move forward with this if there is no action taken here.

Sharon Rondeau, a journalist who has been closely covering my case, has been publishing articles documenting this situation. She will be publishing the fact that your office has been made aware of these ongoing crimes and the lack of response from law enforcement. I am hopeful that this public awareness will prompt a more serious response from both your office and the relevant law enforcement agencies.

I am requesting your immediate intervention in this matter. I believe an independent investigation into these abuses is urgently needed, and I respectfully ask for your office’s support in taking action to ensure that these crimes are thoroughly investigated. The failure to address these issues not only compromises my safety but also raises significant concerns about the misuse of surveillance technologies and the rights of individuals in our community.

Please let me know if you need any further information. I look forward to your prompt response and your support in bringing this matter to light.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

Best regards,

Less than two hours later, the victim received a response from District 1:

Good afternoon, Mr. XXXXXX

Thank you for reaching out to Supervisor Arenas and for sharing your concerns. We can understand how deeply frustrating and distressing this situation must be for you.

While our office does not have the authority to conduct investigations into criminal matters, we see that you have already taken significant steps by reaching out to multiple agencies, including the Gilroy Police Department, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the REACT Cyber Crime Unit. These agencies are best positioned to investigate the issues you have raised.

If you have not already done so, you may also consider contacting the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office or the California Attorney General’s Office, as they may have additional resources or jurisdiction over certain matters related to cyber crimes and surveillance concerns. Additionally, if you believe your rights are being violated, seeking legal counsel may be a helpful step in determining the best course of action.

We understand that you are looking for answers and assistance and sincerely hope you are able to find the support and resolution you need. Please know that we take all concerns from our community seriously, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

In community,

Rebecca
Office of Supervisor  Sylvia Arenas, District 1
70 West Hedding Street, East Wing, 10^th Floor San Jose, CA 95110
E: District1@bos.sccgov.org   

The victim has speculated that as the birthplace of the modern American “tech” industry known as Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County law-enforcers should have the capability to identify the source(s) of the interference in fairly short order.