Michelle Hadley was a 29-year-old graduate student living in California when her ex-boyfriend falsely accused her of a lurid crime. By the time the case unraveled in early 2017, she had lost her job, her reputation and her faith in law enforcement.
But late last week, a federal jury convicted the ex-boyfriend — Ian Diaz, a former U.S. deputy marshal — of setting up Hadley by making it seem as if she had lured men to his home to sexually assault his then-wife.
Diaz had framed Hadley as part of a twisted plot to get her to walk away from a condo they had purchased together, according to federal prosecutors.
The guilty verdict represents a fresh round of vindication for Hadley, who spent 88 days in jail as a result of Diaz’s scheme and who has waited more than six years for him to pay for his crimes.
“I am so grateful to the [Justice Department Office of Inspector General] for the work they put into this case and to the jury for a conviction that has brought so much peace to my family and restored some of the faith we lost in the justice system as a result of Diaz’s crimes against me,” Hadley said in a statement to NBC News.
Diaz’s conviction could not have come at a more joyous time in Hadley’s life. Incredibly, it happened on the same day she gave birth to her first child, a baby girl.
“My life has been filled by strange, often symbolic, and sometimes beautiful coincidences like this,” Hadley said. “My daughter represents my rainbow after a very long storm, and my heart has never felt so full.”
The criminal case dates back to the spring of 2016.
After Hadley’s two-year relationship with Diaz ended in August 2015, they became locked in a dispute over their condominium in Anaheim, according to federal prosecutors.
Diaz married a different woman in February 2016.
In May of that year, he and his new wife, Angela Diaz, created multiple online accounts using Hadley’s name. They then used the accounts to entice men found through…
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