Man convicted of aggravated stalking after months of harassment in Bibb County
District Attorney Anita Howard said the verdict sends a message about the seriousness of violating protective orders.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A man was convicted of aggravated stalking after prosecutors say he subjected his former partner to months of harassment, break-ins and threats following the end of their relationship, according to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
Eric Ussery was found guilty of aggravated stalking and stalking after a pattern of behavior that began in late February 2022, when the victim ended their relationship.
On April 1, 2022, authorities said Ussery showed up unannounced while the victim was out with friends and attacked her twice in a single evening.
Over the following month, the victim made repeated calls to law enforcement as Ussery continued to appear uninvited, according to prosecutors. Officials said he also broke into her home while she was sleeping, prompting her to install security cameras outside her apartment.
When the victim filed for a protective order, prosecutors said Ussery tracked her down at a restaurant where she was dining with her son, offered her $100 and told her, “Take what you put on me off.”
On August 9, 2022, Ussery pleaded guilty in Bibb County State Court to stalking, family violence battery and violation of a family violence order, all involving the same victim. A permanent protective order was issued, but authorities said he ignored it.
By late August and into September, the victim reported seeing Ussery following her around the county. Prosecutors said a GPS tracking device was found on her vehicle on Aug. 2, and a second device was discovered on September 15, 2022.
District Attorney Anita Howard said the verdict sends a message about the seriousness of violating protective orders.
“A protective order is only as powerful as the consequences that follow when it is violated,” Howard said. “This jury made clear that choice has a price.”
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Ussery faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for aggravated stalking and 12 months for stalking.