AUSTIN, Texas — A man from Taylor will spend the next 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony stalking charge just before his trial was set to begin on Friday.
Harley William Hovey, 30, was facing a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.
Hovey was a member of a Round Rock gym owned by the victim. Hovey was previously convicted in 2021 of stalking the victim’s friend and roommate and was sentenced to two years in prison. In that case, he engaged in a series of acts that targeted the victim, including placing a rabbit’s head on the victim's property, smashing a window of the victim's business and smearing human feces on the victim's car.
After his 2021 conviction, a protective order was issued prohibiting Hovey from communicating with the victim in any manner or from going to the their place of business, among a number of other restrictions. However, on Feb. 11, Hovey violated the order when he sent the victim's girlfriend a threatening message from a fake Facebook account.
A subsequent investigation linked the Facebook account to Hovey. In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, he was caught on surveillance video at the victim’s business, wearing a ski mask and gloves to conceal his identity, in another violation of the prior protective order.
“This case highlights the serious consequences of stalking and the importance of protective orders," Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said regarding Hovey's conviction. "We will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims and hold offenders accountable.”
