A decade-long run of selling illegal stalkerware has come to an end for Bryan Fleming, the founder of the Michigan-based company pcTattletale. On Tuesday, January 7, 2026, Fleming entered a guilty plea in a San Diego federal court, admitting to charges of computer hacking and the illegal advertising of surveillance devices.
This marks the first successful federal prosecution of a stalkerware operator in the United States since 2014, when the creator of another surveillance app, StealthGenie, was similarly charged.
How the Stalkerware Worked
For your information, stalkerware is a hidden app installed on a phone or computer without the owner’s permission. It runs quietly in the background to monitor a partner or spouse, making it nearly impossible for a victim to detect. While Fleming originally launched pcTattletale as a tool for parents or employers, the investigation revealed that he was actively encouraging a much more invasive use.
Since at least 2016, the software allowed users to secretly monitor romantic partners by hiding the app on their devices. Once installed, it captured everything from text messages and photos to real-time GPS locations, and even provided a “movie” of the victim’s screen activity, all this for a subscription fee of $99.99.
Caught in an Undercover Sting
The downfall of pcTattletale began in 2021 when agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched a probe into over 100 websites selling similar products. One agent went undercover, posing as a marketer to get close to Fleming. Court records show that Fleming personally sent the agent advertising banners with slogans like “Catch a Cheating Husband.”
Investigators noted that Fleming was unusually public about his operation. He even filmed YouTube videos from his 7,700-square-foot mansion in Bruce Township, Michigan, showing how the app stayed invisible on a victim’s phone.
Authorities eventually raided that home, which Fleming recently sold for $1.2 million. Financial records seized during the investigation showed his business was highly profitable, raking in more than $600,000 by the end of 2021 alone.
Data Breach and Shutdown
The business finally hit a breaking point in 2024 following a massive data breach that forced Fleming to shut down operations. A hacker defaced the company’s website and stole extensive data from its servers, including identifiable details belonging to both the customers and their victims.
Not only were the records of 138,000 customers leaked, but over 300 million private screenshots taken from victims’ devices were found sitting on unsecured servers, accessible to anyone who knew where to look.
Fleming is now facing sentencing on April 3. Cybersecurity experts suggest that while many of these companies operate overseas, this conviction should be taken as a clear warning to anyone selling surveillance tools within the US that they can no longer act with total freedom from the law.