Stalker Gets Probation Over Utah Data Center Threats
The case shows how fierce local opposition to a proposed Utah data center escalated into personal threats and a criminal conviction.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cybersecurity
Daniel Charles Kasimow, 56, was sentenced Thursday, November 5, 2026, to two years of probation for stalking, a class A misdemeanor, after sending threatening texts to Casey Hill, a spokesman for the Stratos data center project in Box Elder County. The development is a court outcome, not a technology product: it concerns harassment tied to opposition to a proposed facility.
Why it matters
The case shows how contentious data center siting in Utah has spilled into personal threats against project representatives. Kasimow's texts specifically targeted opposition to the facility, making the dispute a concrete example of the social friction that now accompanies large AI-era infrastructure projects.
The conviction rests on a plea statement admitting Kasimow engaged in a course of conduct while reckless about causing a reasonable person to fear for safety, with eight misdemeanor counts dismissed. The source does not provide measured security costs beyond Hill's own account of spending thousands of dollars on home security.
The players
Daniel Charles Kasimow
The 56-year-old defendant who sent the threatening messages and received the stalking sentence.
Casey Hill
A spokesman for the Stratos data center project, who received the threats and relocated his family.
Kevin O'Leary
The public figure who hired Hill as spokesman for the Stratos data center project in Box Elder County.
The details
Kasimow sent repeated text messages to Hill from May 22 through May 28, continuing after both Hill and law enforcement told him to stop. One message warned Hill to pray that the data center would not come to Utah, and another said he would shoot Hill in the face. In a plea statement on Oct. 23, Kasimow admitted to the course of conduct, and the plea deal dismissed eight class B misdemeanor counts, leaving the stalking conviction.
Timeline
May 22 through May 28: Kasimow sends threatening texts to Casey Hill.
Oct. 23: Kasimow admits to the course of conduct in a plea statement.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Kasimow is sentenced to two years of probation in Salt Lake City.
The Tech Race
The Stratos project is among the data center proposals drawing local scrutiny in Utah as operators seek sites for compute capacity. The case shows that siting fights over such facilities can escalate beyond public hearings into personal threats against the people representing them.
Residents and project representatives in Utah facing contested infrastructure proposals may see heightened security concerns during public disputes. The source does not indicate any change in availability or policy for data center projects.
The takeaway
Watch whether the Stratos data center project in Box Elder County advances to the next stage of approvals in the coming months. The plea deal and probation terms will be the measurable outcome of this case.
Further reading
For more on how threats and harassment intersect with digital infrastructure, see Cybersecurity coverage in Utah.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KSL.
