Cornell 7: Innocent US Marine served with lawsuit in major blunder; family faces death threats - ‘I’m mostly scared’

An active-duty US Marine Corps sergeant from New York found himself wrongly named as a defendant in a gang rape case filed against Cornell University students — and his family is now facing a wave of unwanted contact and threats, as per a new report.

A New York Marine, Matthew Ingalls, was mistakenly named in a lawsuit involving Cornell students, resulting in harassment for his family. (REUTERS)On September 26, Victoria Ingalls received a 101-page lawsuit that incorrectly listed her son, Matthew Ingalls, among seven Cornell students being sued by a former student who claims she was drugged, assaulted, and mistreated at a fraternity gathering in October 2024, reported The Free Press. The lawsuit was filed by a plaintiff going by Jane Doe earlier this month.

But there was a mix-up. Victoria Ingalls' son — a 23-year-old Marine Corps sergeant — had never attended the Ivy League university. It turns out that court documents were delivered to the wrong Matthew Ingalls, and his mother's address upstate in New York was mistakenly recorded in the court records.

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A representative from Camp Lejeune, the North Carolina military base where Ingalls' son is stationed, verified that he was incorrectly served with the papers. Meanwhile, an attorney working with the law firm representing Jane Doe shared that they are collaborating with the court to fix the mistake, stating to The Free Press: “Service upon the correct Matthew Ingalls is being arranged.”

The actual Ingalls named in the civil lawsuit regarding the alleged attack hasn't faced any criminal charges. Neither he nor his legal representative has made any public statements about the matter.

However, due to this blunder, Victoria Ingalls said that her family has faced a flood of online harassment. Internet users shared relatives' private details, such as phone numbers and their home address, and several family members even got threatening text messages.

“My family’s been terrorized, threatened, and harassed,” she told the outlet. “I am just amazed at the way people behave.”

“You can’t just lash out at random at somebody because they have the same name,” she added.

Ingalls mentioned that while her son gets military security while stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, she remains deeply concerned about her family's wellbeing.

“I don’t even know how I feel anymore. I’m so overwhelmed. I’m mostly scared for my kids,” she said.

Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More