Internet Thief Claims Venus Williams Wants To Eat His Head

Serial plaintiff and convicted online ID thief Jonathan Lee Riches has launched a claim against the U.S. Open and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.

Paul McDougall, Editor At Large, InformationWeek

September 11, 2007

1 Min Read
InformationWeek logo in a gray background | InformationWeek

Proving that anyone really can file a lawsuit, serial plaintiff and convicted online ID thief Jonathan Lee Riches has launched a claim against the U.S. Open and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.

In handwritten papers filed last week in U.S. District Court in Virginia, Riches claims that the tennis balls used at the recent U.S. Open in New York were comprised of "electrons and neutrons stolen from my head" and that Venus and Serena Williams "told me they want to eat my head for supper." Riches also says he taught Venus to play table tennis in county jail.

Riches currently resides in federal prison in Salters, South Carolina, where he is serving time for his role in an Internet identity theft scam that lured its victims to a phony AOL site. He has become so infamous for whiling away his days in the slammer by filing outrageous lawsuits that there is now a Wikipedia page devoted to his efforts.

Riches previously sued Michael Vick, claiming the disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback helped bring down Pan Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland. He's also filed claims against President Bush for implanting a computer virus in his body and sued the entire Internet for abetting identity theft -- the crime of which he is convicted.

Riches may be an unsuccessful Web scammer, but he's not lacking for imagination. He once sued Barry Bonds, claiming the San Francisco Giants' slugger used Hank Aaron's bat to crack the Liberty Bell.

Riches will have lots of time to dream up more lawsuits. He's not scheduled to be released from prison until 2012. Carlos Fleming, the Williams sisters' agent, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

About the Author

Paul McDougall

Editor At Large, InformationWeek

Paul McDougall is a former editor for InformationWeek.

Never Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights