Michael Lewis, the man accused of stalking Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was disruptive during his court hearing in Marion County, Indiana, on Tuesday (January 14), ESPN reports.
Lewis, 55, reportedly entered the courtroom, sat back in his chair and said "guilty as charged," interrupting the court's proceedings multiple times, which resulted in him being rebuked by Marion County Superior Court Judge Angela Davis.
"You have a right to remain silent, and I expect you to exercise that on me," Davis said via ESPN.
Lewis continued talking despite the warning, at which point Davis again told him "stop talking." Davis entered a not guilty plea on Lewis' behalf as she refused to accept a guilty plea during the initial bond hearing and assigned a public defender to the case.
Lewis was ordered to be held on $50,000 bail and stay away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse, the two facilities where the Fever play their home games, as well as being prohibited to contact Clark in any form. The 55-year-old was charged with a Level 5 felony stalking charge after being arrested at a hotel in Indianapolis, according to court documents.
Lewis is accused of sending threats and sexually violent messages to Clark and faces up to six years in prison, as well as a $10,000 fine. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department initially made contact with Lewis on Wednesday (January 8) in relation to alleged messages he sent to Clark on X, according to Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
"Been driving around your house 3x a day," Lewis wrote to Clark, according to court documents. "But don't call the law just yet."
Other messages sent by Lewis to Clark were described as being sexually violent, according to court documents. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year told police that she feared for her safety prior to Lewis arriving in Indianapolis, which led to her altering her appearance in public.
Mears said investigators were able to track down Lewis through IP addresses of his recent messages and located him at the Indianapolis hotel. The suspect told police he was in "an imaginary relationship" with Clark and had traveled to Indianapolis on vacation.
Police said Lewis continued to send messages to Clark even after speaking to police.
"It takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don't," Mears said via ESPN. "In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence.
"We commend Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office for the swift and serious action that led to this weekend's arrest."
Prosecutors have moved to ban Lewis from the Fever's home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as well as Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the team had previously played, according to ESPN. A similar incident involved one of college basketball's top starts late last year.
A 40-year-old man previously plead guilty to stalking and harassing UConn women's basketball star Paige Bueckers in December. Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, of Grants Pass, Oregon, who was also referred to as Parmelee in various documents and social media accounts, was charged with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment after being detained by UConn Police on September 13.
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