WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – A Wayne County man is charged with four counts, including conspiracy to coerce and entice a minor and sexual exploitation of children.
And the messages from the New Boston man are hard to stomach.
The shocking messages were allegedly sent from a man in New Boston, Michigan, to someone else in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the feds say, to blackmail a Metro Detroit teen girl to send naked photos of herself.
BULANDA: “I don’t want to ruin her life.”
SUBJECT-1: “I won’t ruin her life. It’s all about the threat.”
SUBJECT-1: “She has to think I’ll ruin her life. That’s the key.”
In a complaint filed this week, FBI Detroit said 37-year-old Michael David Bulanda of New Boston, who appeared in federal court Thursday (Feb. 12), nervous – fidgeting and rocking in his seat at times – had been messaging someone arrested in Philadelphia back in September.
Neighbors in New Boston told Local 4 they spotted police at the location where Bulanda had been staying on Fairview early Wednesday morning.
Several neighbors said they had chosen to have limited interactions with Bulanda, without elaborating.
One neighbor told Local 4 that he told everyone in his family to “stay away” from Bulanda and that he got “bad vibes” from him.
According to the complaint, the alleged crimes began unfolding in December 2025, after FBI Philadelphia agents discovered a chat from Sept. 11, 2025, about a 17-year-old Michigan girl that Bulanda appeared to know.
Bulanda allegedly sent that person a nude photo of the teen through an encrypted chat.
In that exchange, according to the complaint, Bulanda told the person he knew the girl and asked him to blackmail her into providing additional naked photos.
An excerpt of the chat is below:
- BULANDA: Yo
- SUBJECT-1: You the [redacted]?
- [SUBJECT-1 sends an image that was not viewable to law
enforcement]
- SUBJECT-1: That your girl?
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: Hot. What’s her name
- BULANDA: [provides a fictitious name]
- SUBJECT-1: What are you hoping to get from blackmail
- BULANDA: Her body
- SUBJECT-1: More nudes?
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: I can do that. Where’s she from
- SUBJECT-1: Also, any limits?
- BULANDA: I don’t want to ruin her life
- SUBJECT-1: I won’t ruin her life. It’s all about the threat
- SUBJECT-1: She has to think, it’ll ruin her life. That’s the key
- SUBJECT-1: Are we doing this?
- BULANDA: Sure
- SUBJECT-1: Okay, so again, where is she from
- BULANDA: Michigan
- SUBJECT-1: Let’s see that nude you have
- [BULANDA sends an image that depicts a female displaying her
breasts to the camera. The female’s face is not visible in the image.]
- SUBJECT-1: Stole from her phone?
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: What’s her phone number
- [BULANDA provides a phone number]
- SUBJECT-1: Perfect. Is she still in HS
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: What school
- BULANDA: [provides name of high school]
- SUBJECT-1: She a [references an extracurricular activity]
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: Does she have a job
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: What does she do
- BULANDA: [provides job description]
- SUBJECT-1: Where?
- BULANDA: [provides name of MV-1’s employer]
- SUBJECT-1: [redacted] HS is in [city in Michigan]?
- BULANDA: [provides name of city where MV-1’s high school is
located]
- SUBJECT-1: [high school mascot] is the name?
- BULANDA: Ya
- BULANDA: A lot of information lol
- What are you going to do
- SUBJECT-1: I’m looking at the [extracurricular activity] roster, I’m not
seeing an [fictitious name]. I’m seeing [other name]
- BULANDA: [provides true name of MV-1]
- SUBJECT-1: Why did you say [fictitious name]?
- BULANDA: testing the waters
- BULANDA: This is risky
- SUBJECT-1: Bro. Come on now. Now I have to message her again on
a different number asking if it’s [MV1’s true name]
- BULANDA: I didn’t know you were going right in like that
- BULANDA: Ya gotta be careful with this shit
- BULANDA: This is hella risky
- SUBJECT-1: You can’t give shit info like that, man
- SUBJECT-1: So [MV1’s first name and last name]
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: Any other wrong info you gave?
- BULANDA: No
- SUBJECT-1: Think she’s awake?
- BULANDA: No lol
- SUBJECT-1: Does she have a boyfriend?
- BULANDA: Yes
- SUBJECT-1: What’s his name?
- BULANDA: [provides name]
- SUBJECT-1: How long where they together?
- BULANDA: Not very long
- SUBJECT-1: Tell me about [MV1’s] personality
- […]
- SUBJECT-1: Is she nice? Mean?
- BULANDA: Nice
- SUBJECT-1: How do you think she will react to me having her nude?
- BULANDA: I have no idea lol
- BULANDA: Probably act like it’s not her
- SUBJECT-1: That’s your only nude of her?
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: If she tries saying it’s not her, there’s an easy way around
that
- BULANDA: Just don’t ruin her life
- SUBJECT-1: I won’t. Are you excited
- BULANDA: I am
- BULANDA: I want to see what she says
- SUBJECT-1: I’ll keep screenshots. Are you’re okay with me threatening
to ruin her life as long as it’s just threatening
- SUBJECT-1: And
- BULANDA: Ya
- SUBJECT-1: Good. Is she going to college?
- BULANDA: Ya probably
- SUBJECT-1: Any idea for what?
- BULANDA: Not a clue
- SUBJECT-1: Okay shouldn’t she have an idea by now?
- BULANDA: Not a clue
- SUBJECT-1: Okay shouldn’t she have an idea by now?
- BULANDA: About what?
- SUBJECT-1: What She wants to do for college
- BULANDA: Yeah probably but idk
- SUBJECT-1: Ok. What [references MV1’s extracurricular activity]
- BULANDA: [responds]
- SUBJECT-1: That the only one?
- BULANDA: Ya
9. SUBJECT-1 then says he is going to sleep and will see if MV-1
responds in the morning. Approximately four hours later, the conversation
continues:
- SUBJECT-1: She responded
- SUBJECT-1: She claims it’s not her and also claims she doesn’t work
at [location]
- BULANDA: lol
- BULANDA: Figured
- SUBJECT-1: She is lying, though I’m assuming
- BULANDA: Ya, she is
- SUBJECT-1: Do you know her next shift [location]
- BULANDA: I don’t
- BULANDA: Can I see her responses
- SUBJECT-1: [provides five screenshots that appear to depict
conversations between SUBJECT-1 and MV-1]
- BULANDA: F**k that’s hot lol
- SUBJECT-1: I’m assuming she’s probably in class now
- BULANDA: For sure
- SUBJECT-1: Okay, so her silence is probably not her ignoring me
- BULANDA: Ya probably
- SUBJECT-1: I also texted her from another number and said, “Holy
s**t nice t!@# [MV-1’s name]”
- SUBJECT-1: No reply there yet
- BULANDA: Haha, that’s funny
As the chat continued, the complaint states Bulanda answered more questions about the teen, including whether she had siblings and the names of her friends.
The other person also sent Bulanda multiple pictures of what appeared to be high school-aged girls, asking whether he recognized them.
In response to one, Bulanda replied: “She’s hot lol idk who that is.”
The pair discussed posting the girl’s picture on a public forum to make her “feel fear,” the complaint said — something the other person described as having worked before to break “many stubborn sl**s.” Bulanda said that would be going “too far,” according to the complaint.
Eventually, the person allegedly asked if Bulanda wanted anyone else “blackmailed,” and Bulanda replied: “Nah – thanks though – only her.”
A search of Bulanda’s residence
Investigators said they subpoenaed the messaging platform for subscriber information tied to the user ID, and that the returned subscriber phone number matched Bulanda’s, along with an IP address.
On Feb. 11, 2026, investigators said they searched Bulanda’s home and seized a phone, though it “could not be searched on scene.”
Neighbors told Local 4 that police were on scene around 6 a.m.
According to the feds, Bulanda initially denied using the encrypted messaging service, then changed his statement and admitted he did.
He also admitted the account was his, and when shown the chats, “nodded that he recognized them.”
It is not clear how Bulanda may have known the teen.
Bulanda consented to temporary detention and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 25, 2026.