DOCUMENT: Bizarre, Crime

Charges Dropped In Facebook Spy Vs. Spy Case

Suspect knew ex was behind teen girl’s phony profile

Spy v Spy

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Voelkert Dismissal

JUNE 9--In an embarrassing about-face, federal prosecutors yesterday abruptly dropped criminal charges against an Indiana man who they accused of bugging his ex-wife’s automobile.

The FBI last Friday arrested David Voelkert, 38, largely on the basis of messages the South Bend man recently exchanged with a purported 17-year-old Facebook friend named “Jessica Studebaker.”

In fact, the “Studebaker” account was created last month by Voelkert’s ex-wife Angela, 29, in an apparent bid to extract information she could use against him in an ongoing child custody fight.

As described in an FBI affidavit, David Voelkert’s Facebook correspondence with “Studebaker” included an admission that he had placed a GPS device in his ex-wife’s vehicle to surreptitiously monitor her movements. He also wrote about his desire to “find someone to take care of” Angela, and told “Studebaker” that “you should find someone at your school…that would put a cap in her ass for $10,000.”

For her part, Angela Voelkert sought to use the Facebook exchanges against her ex-husband. In a June 1 Superior Court application for a restraining order against him, Voelkert attached several pages of Facebook messages exchanged between “Studebaker” and David Voelkert. The messages showed her ex-husband telling “Studebaker” about the tracking device, as well as his concern the teenager could “get arrested as an accessory to all this.”

Voelkert spent four days in custody until federal prosecutors moved yesterday to drop charges against him. He was freed after proving to investigators that he knew all along that his ex-wife was the one sending him messages from the “Studebaker” account. Voelkert explained that he played along with the ruse so that he could use his ex-spouse’s machinations against her in their custody case.

To support this contention, Voelkert provided FBI agents with a May 25 notarized affidavit in which he describes receiving a friend request from “Jessica Studebaker,” whom he suspected was his ex-wife. “I am lying to this person,” he stated, “to gain positive proof that it is indeed my ex-wife trying to again tamper in my life.” He added, “In no way do I have plans to leave with my children or do any harm to Angela Dawn Voelkert or anyone else.”

The allegedly incriminating Facebook messages sent by Voelkert came on May 31, six days after his sworn affidavit was notarized. Voelkert kept one copy of the affidavit, and gave a relative a second copy for safekeeping.

Federal investigators, who interviewed the bank employee who notarized the affidavit on May 25, confirmed that the document was authentic, triggering the government motion yesterday to dismiss Voelkert’s case. “The request is based upon information learned in the government’s ongoing investigation of the case,” wrote prosecutor Jesse Barrett, who declined to comment about the matter when contacted by a TSG reporter.

Magistrate Judge Christopher Nuechterlein yesterday signed an order dismissing the case against Voelkert.

The “Studebaker” account remains on Facebook and includes the above image of an unknown girl. The profile claims that she is 17, has worked at Subway, and attends James Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend. In a May 24 post, “Studebaker” claimed to be “Sittin in study hall bored out of my freakin mind.”

At press time, she currently has 63 friends, one of whom remains David Voelkert. (3 pages)

Comments (32)

Quote: "The 'Studebaker' account remains on Facebook and includes the above image of an unknown girl." anyone ever heard of an image search?
So federal prosecutors didn't even bother to check her car checked for the GPS unit? Now that just sounds like sloppy policework.
Smart guy. sounds like he would be a better custodian of the kids than the ex-wife.
Hahaha, all the hate comments on the last document/article on this case has gone to waste. This David guy really seems smart, and the wife, just an annoying ***.
Smart guy..
When I first read about this case the comments were. String him up- Gas him- Throw aways the key In a divorce my ex and her friend put bruises on herself and went to the police. They took pictures and I was arrested for the first time in my life. I was very lucky as she came in about a month later drunk. I taped he saying how she did all that. If I was not lucky I might have gone to jail. I asked the police and the da about the false report and perjury and they said oh we don't do that. Sue her. I said what protects the people who are not lucky enough to get a tape..
This guy did the intelligent thing. He did a reverse sting on his manipulative ex-wife. Women have the upper hand in divorce court and in gaining custody. The woman was obviously trying the get the guy to pull a "Weiner" and he was not stupid enough to fall for it. All of this "what will the kids think about murder threat"s..serious or not is nothing but smoking up the mirrors and reversing blame....Hey wait, maybe she CAN use this in court. She can say he traumatized her children while she was faking being a teenage slut on the internet. I think this has turned out to be fantastic for the husband and I hope he gets a good settlement for false arrest....Did the FBI actually check her car for the GPS unit? I guess not. Just sorry he had to spend four days in jail. I hope she gets at least a slap in the face from a relative for being so stupid.
This is ridiculous, and both parties are extremely immature... Angela for creating a fake facebook account, and David for accepting her friend request if he knew it was her. And why... of all things... did he say that he was going to murder her? Whether it was used solely for proof that she "won't stay out of his personal life" or not, it was still a threat. I feel sorry for the children.
No, it is not "still a threat" If it was "still a threat" then Davide Voelkert would still be in jail. Both parties are immature? Oh Really?? If the tables were turned, the woman would have had him run up the flag pole and this is exactly what she was trying to do. The only thing that he could do to save himself and his kids from this moronic woman was to do what he did. Why do you consider it immature to protect yourself when your spouse is acting like an ass. She was trying to dig up dirt just to slap child support on him and take the house, etc.., You are a troll
Immature ???? He was being stalkeed and she wanted to take his kids away, she was "after him" to the point he was suspect of her actions and finally caught her, I guesss he should have done nothing until she finally hurt him beyond repair. Just think he sacrafice himself for 4 days in jail to end the pursuit. You're a bit one sided.
My main concern is the children in all this. Are either of the parents thinking what is best for the children. If David and Angela wanted to know what the other was doing they should of hired a professional to find out what each other was doing. (A private investigator.) Both went about it the wrong way. It is a good thing David did have a note notorized to save his butt, but did the person know him and fix the paper to save his butt? Did Angela do wrong by impersonating someone else and who's picture did she use? Does she have the right to use someone else's pic? Does this person know her pic is up there for everyone to see? What if this person doesn't want her pic to be on facebook? Who is she? I worry about the children and the parents that are going to be raising them. When in a divorce just part ways and let the courts decide. Children need both parents in their lives,if they are fit. Quit putting the children through this! It is their lives you are messing up. Do you think what this is doing to them?
While the whole damn story is tragic, it does give a person a lift in the heart when someone's treachery is exposed in so glaring light. I'm a guy, and I could point out the "EVIL B*tch!!" but the fact is that it happens across the board, gender, color, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Good for the father standing up to the BS and having sense enough to think ahead with the notary republic of all things!! HIGH FIVE! I only wish I could have a video of this evil ass person when she was told the jig was up.
Left out of the story was that the "gps" device was nothing more than a car alarm. Also, "Jessica" is the one who first suggested murder. Yes, Angela advised David to kill Angela.
Women...
I am very proud of the dad for standing up for his kids and trying to get his ex-wife out of the picture. I know him well and know that she is a mean person and he has every single text message they sent back ond fourth since his divorce that he is willing to share. It will show how much of a psyco this person is. Also, he tried to go to Lincoln Therapeutic Partnership to seek help against his ex-wife, but she manipulated the theripists there and they were all on her side. She is a very smooth talker and manipulated the FBI, that is why David was placed in jail. If these professonals are this easily manipulated, something is wrong. I know that he has a lawsuit against Lincoln Therapeutic Partnership and he has BEGGED the theripist to help his ex-wife, but she refused. She put nothing bad about Angela in the letter to the court, it was all about David. Angela is a great lier and now the truth will finally be heard by the court due to the media bringing all this out. Angela, I hope you are ready to face what you are about to get, because you are about to lose your kids. David, you are a great dad for not trying to put your kids through this. People have to understand out there that YOU are not posting all this for the world to see, it is out there because of the manipulation of Angela trying to 'friend' you with a fake profile. Stay out of the spot light and take care of your kids! Your a great dad and your kids love you, keep up the great work!
Sounds to me like David is tooting his own horn a little to loud! Seriously man, unless you and David are romantically involved you shouldn't be stroking his ego quite so hard.
So just to be clear David is suing a therapy group because they wrote a letter to the court stating bad things about him NOT his ex-wife, and David wrote on FB that he was going to leave with his children and hire someone to murder his ex-wife, as a means to make his ex look bad? Sounds to me like David is the insane one! Didn't your mother ever tell you that you are the company that you keep. BTW you should consider some sort of spell check. theripists= therapists professonals= professionals theripist (again)= therapist lier= liar Dave= idiot
Forget the spelling, you may need some help with reading comprehension. The whole purpose of posting those purported threats was not with the intention of doing harm. Rather, it was to expose a vexatious wife for the bad faith motives that she had. She drew first blood and he did the only sane and rational thing to bring a stop to it. If you consider his actions insane in light of the facts, then you may want to consider therapy for yourself. Your BTW comments make you sound like you have issues of your own.
You're the idiot, you're the reason I had someone steal my daughters future ID theft and said I gave it to them, I'm being forclosed on and they bought a house with my money, it's just that simple, you're the kind that manufactures a scheme where they are entitled, and they are drug dealers too, way to go, you should not share your opinions.
Scalpal = Pompous. Get over yourself buddy.
yeah, overdoing the = a bit.
Yeah, keep up the great work... but maybe date a little longer next time before getting married. I doubt this story is as one-sided as either side makes it sound. Call me a skeptic... or a cynic...
Exactly what I was thinking. If old Dave's such a great guy, he sure doesn't know how to walk away from an acidic relationship without throwing gasoline on the fire. What would Dave's kids think if they read he responses about killing his ex, even if they aren't true? Neither party is innocent and no one deserves ANY medals.
Goheidigo - You ignorant troll! It's got nothing to do with walking away from an acidic relationship. It has everything to do with protecting yourself and your children from a hateful, scheming tramp that uses the family courts to beat up on good fathers. He could not walk away without leaving his children behind. He could not walk away when she was digging dirt for custody and child support. She went overboard with her connivance and he was only reacting to it in the best way he knew how. Why are so many women like this???
Looks hot to me.
Hey, everybody! Look, here comes Sarah Palin! I'll bet she can sort this mess out! She knows all about dysfunctional families and American history!
Look, everybody, yet another liberal making a political non sequitur! Ain't he oh so clever?
Marlo Heights was a fun place to live.
Look everyone, yet another pseudo-intellectual trying to engage a moron in a battle of partisan rhetoric. Time well-spent sir!
Sometimes I hate irony.
I bet Weiner was another of her friends.
What's the word kids are using?... "pwned"?