LOS ANGELES — A Texas man has been charged in Indiana with felony stalking after he allegedly sent Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark a barrage of text messages that she told prosecutors left her “very fearful” and forced her to become wary of going out in public.
Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, appeared Tuesday in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis and — speaking out of turn — said to Judge Angela Davis, “guilty as charged,” according to ESPN. He continued to interrupt the proceedings until Davis repeatedly told him to “stop talking.”
Davis said she wouldn’t accept a guilty plea at an initial hearing, assigned a public defender to represent Lewis and entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Lewis was held on $50,000 bail and Davis ordered him to stay away from Gainbridge and Hinkle fieldhouses — venues where Clark and the Fever play home games — and not to have any contact with the 22-year-old Clark.
The stalking charge carries a prison sentence of one to six years and a fine of up to $10,000. Lewis is scheduled to return to court March 31 for a pretrial hearing.
Lewis was arrested Sunday after Indianapolis police unearthed messages from an IP address that placed him at a hotel and a public library near Gainbridge Fieldhouse, according to Marion County prosecutors.
A rookie in 2024 after setting multiple NCAA scoring records at Iowa, Clark quickly became the most popular woman player, drawing record crowds to Fever games, setting a WNBA record for assists in a season and making millions in endorsements.
But as what experts say frequently becomes the case, immense popularity can also bring unwanted attention. According to charging documents released Monday by prosecutors, Lewis allegedly sent a series of threatening and sexually explicit messages to Clark beginning Dec. 16 through Jan. 11 and traveled from Denton, Texas, to Indiana to be closer to her.