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Hernandez Govan stood before a federal judge on Monday and rejected the cyberstalking allegations that landed him back in custody just weeks after walking free from a murder trial.
The Memphis man pleaded not guilty to charges carrying up to five years in prison, marking the second major legal battle he’s faced in less than a year.
The current case traces back to a domestic dispute that erupted on June 4, when a woman reported harassment to Memphis police.
Govan allegedly sent threatening messages and voicemails, promised to have someone shoot up her residence, and threatened to post explicit images of her online, while saying “I’m bigger than the devil,” which prosecutors are using to show his state of mind during the harassment campaign.
State authorities moved quickly, issuing a warrant on June 10 and arresting him the following day on misdemeanor charges of stalking and harassment.
He posted a $4,000 bond and walked out of jail on June 12.
But federal prosecutors weren’t finished. On that same day, he bonded out, and federal authorities filed their own warrant.
By June 15, FBI agents had taken him into federal custody, where he’s remained locked up since.
His defense attorney, John Keith Perry, questioned the timing and the substance of the case, suggesting the charges don’t fit the typical profile of federal cyberstalking prosecutions.
Perry argued that the situation stemmed from a financial dispute over loaned money, not the kind of complex harassment pattern usually seen in these cases.
The backdrop here matters.
Govan was acquitted in August 2025 of orchestrating the November 2021 murder of rapper Young Dolph outside a Memphis bakery.
Prosecutors had argued he was the mastermind who hired the shooters and arranged payment for the hit.
After jury deliberation, he walked free on both first-degree murder and conspiracy charges.
Now, less than a year later, he’s facing federal charges in what, according to WREG, appears to be an entirely separate matter.
Perry has signaled he’ll push for Govan’s release while the case moves through the system, expressing confidence that his client will ultimately be exonerated.
Govan’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 20, 2026.
