Former CMPD officer admits harassing ex in Rock Hill. He did not go to prison
A former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer admitted in court Thursday he followed and harassed his ex-girlfriend in Rock Hill while carrying a gun, but he will not serve any prison time.
Visiting Judge Keith Kelly sentenced Dylan Lineberger, 33, to time served with a permanent restraining order after Lineberger pleaded guilty to misdemeanor first-degree harassment in York County criminal court. Kelly suspended the maximum three-year prison sentence, and gave Lineberger 355 days credit for wearing a GPS monitor for almost a year after Rock Hill police arrested him in late October 2024.
Lineberger worked for the CMPD for nine years before his arrest. He was placed on administrative leave when he was arrested, then left the department in April, according to his lawyer, Chris Lusk, and CMPD records obtained by The Herald under a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Herald is not naming the victim because of previous court statements, in which she remains fearful for her safety. She was in court Thursday but did not speak.
Prosecutor: Harassment by text, surveillance, vandalism
Lineberger and his former girlfriend broke up in September 2024 when she told him she wanted no further contact, prosecutor Alex Harper said in court Thursday. The harassment started in North Carolina, then moved to Rock Hill, where the woman lived when Lineberger sent unwanted text messages, made phone calls, and sent the victim gifts, Harper said.
In October 2024, Lineberger vandalized her vehicle. Then on Oct. 24, Lineberger texted his ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend saying, “If he ever saw the victim and him together, that he would kill him and make the victim watch,” Harper said in court.
Lineberger had access to his police-issued gun and more than 30 weapons at the time, Harper said.
The next day, Lineberger called the victim several times using an app to block the number and followed her in a rented car to a Rock Hill Food Lion, Harper said. Police arrested Lineberger in Lincoln County, N.C. before he was extradited to South Carolina.
Ex-cop admits crime but says nothing else in court
Lineberger was in court Thursday but did not say anything except to plead guilty.
Lineberger was released on $10,000 bail with the GPS monitor soon after Rock Hill police arrested him. He had no prior criminal record and now works a maintenance job, Lusk said in court.
Time served would be “an appropriate resolution,” Lusk told Kelly.
Victim’s civil lawsuit against Lineberger still pending
A civil lawsuit filed by the woman, which alleges Lineberger stalked her, remains pending, according to Lusk and York County court documents.
The criminal case and civil suit are separate.
The woman’s lawsuit claims the surveillance and stalking and Lineberger tried to hack her email, court records show. She also has a North Carolina restraining order against Lineberger, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit that describes Lineberger’s actions as “dangerous” claims Lineberger falsified emergencies to try and reach her. She is seeking punitive and compensatory damages for intentional emotional distress and other claims.
