TikTok ‘Accountability’ Influencer ‘Danesh’ Faces $100K Sanctions, Grand Jury Probe in Suicide Case

TikTok influencer Danesh Noshirvan, a self-styled “accountability” crusader to his millions of followers, is now the target of accountability himself—facing a court rebuke of his lawyer, a post-order bid for nearly $100,000 in fees and costs in federal court sanctions, and a Texas grand jury investigation into his cyberstalking campaign that ended in a man’s suicide.

Noshirvan built a massive TikTok following by exposing people he determined were bad actors, and mobilizing his audience to pressure employers and police. Now, the tactics he pioneered have triggered a legal boomerang.

Federal Sanctions

U.S. District Court Judge John E. Steele issued an August 12, 2025, order reprimanding Noshirvan’s attorney, Nicholas Chiappetta, for conduct that failed to meet “the professional standards expected from officers of the court.”

That lack of professioinal standards were caused by his client, according to the judge.  Nohirvan’s deposition in the lawsuit Noshirvan v. Couture, got widlly out of control. Noshirvan, known to his over two million followers as @ThatDaneshGuy, called opposing counsel Julian Jackson-Fannin a “pig” and a “low-class racist.”

Judge Steele reviewed the transcript and said he fouund no evidence to support Noshirvan’s accusations.  He found “none of that was true.” Judge Steele found that Chiappetta “expressly declined” to control his client’s behavior and gave his client the “green light” to publish the defamatory content online.

This online activity incited Noshirvan’s followers to harass Jackson-Fannin, escalating to threats of violence against the attorney, his family, and his colleagues at Duane Morris LLP.

Following the sanctions order, Duane Morris filed a motion seeking to recover more than $100,000 in attorneys’ fees, costs, and the cost of an expert witness, costs the firm states were inflated by necessary security measures.

The ‘Accountability Economy’

Noshirvan operates within an online movement termed by supporters as “accountability culture,” and opponents as “cancel culture.” Noshirvan monetizes exposure by naming and shaming individuals he accuses of misconduct, often calling for his target’s arrest or firing.

As a leading figure in this space, Noshirvan analyzes videos sent by individuals, determines the wrongdoer, identifies that individual, and calls for his audience to help him seek justice. Scores of individuals identified by Noshirvan have been fired or arrested, according to a review of his TikTok platform.

Allegations of Deception in Court

The federal lawsuit that led to the sanctions, Noshirvan v. Couture, has become a battleground for increasingly contentious allegations. Court filings from the defendants claim Noshirvan’s testimony contains inconsistencies. They allege he testified to having “no copy” of the original viral video central to the case, despite its widespread availability, and admitted to using a fake online account named “Erica Sabonis” to contact defendant Jennifer Couture.

Attorney’s Website Under Scrutiny

Separately, his attorney’s law firm’s website is under scrutiny. The site describes the case as one “against multiple defendants who conspired and committed cyber defamation,” naming not only defendant Couture but also her attorney, Patrick Trainor, and a third party, Joey Camp, a well known and controversial online provocateur and reputed hacker with a longstanding feud with Noshirvan, as part of the conspiracy.

According to reporter Richard Luthmann, this claim is at odds with Judge Steele’s August 12 order, which stated, “The Declaration does not say that Trainor conspired with Camp,” and found no evidence of such a conspiracy. Florida Bar rules prohibit misleading advertising and require that lawyers ensure their public communications are verifiable. Luthmann has filed a complaint with the bar. Initially, Florida Bar Counsel dismissed the complaint against Chiappetta in a September 2, 2025, email.  Luthmann resubmitted a copy of the August 12 order, requesting reconsideration. He has not yet heard back.

A Parallel Legal Feud

The litigation has expanded into an increasingly bitter battle between Noshirvan and Luthmann, who has written extensively about the case. In a separate lawsuit, Noshirvan is suing Luthmann for defamation.

Noshirvan’s attorney alleges Luthmann is not an independent journalist but was “hired by Jennifer Couture and Ralph Garramone, M.D.” to participate in a “smear campaign.” The filing attacks Luthmann’s credibility, highlighting his past federal felony conviction, and accuses him of publishing stolen materials.

In that suit, Noshirvan alleges a paid conspiracy; Luthmann denies he was paid and says he is acting as an independent journalist.

In a lawsuit of his own, Luthmann v. Noshirvan centers on Noshirvan’s campaign branding Luthmann—as a “predator” and “child stalker.”

In Florida, where Luthmann resides, crimes directed at children under the age of twelve can carry the death penalty, making the accusations gravely defamatory per se. Luthmann’s lawsuit alleges that Noshirvan weaponized both speech and non-speech conduct in a coordinated digital terror campaign designed to destroy his reputation, endanger his safety, and silence his journalism. Luthmann seeks accountability for defamation per se, abuse of process, and broader harms stemming from Noshirvan’s intentional, malicious, and false online attacks.

Texas Grand Jury Weighs Criminal Charges

The most serious allegations against Noshirvan originate in Texas. According to two sources familiar with the proceedings; a Denton County grand jury has convened to consider criminal charges against him for his alleged role in an online harassment campaign that led to the suicide of high school football coach Aaron De La Torre, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.

A central focus is whether Noshirvan used AI-driven technology to generate a flood of calls and texts to De La Torre’s employer and local police, creating an illusion of mass public outrage. This campaign occurred despite police having closed their investigation into the original incident, finding no probable cause for arrest and no visible injuries to a child involved.

Ten days after Noshirvan posted his first in a barrage of videos, De La Torre died by suicide.

Denton County District Attorney Paul Johnson is reportedly examining potential charges including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and felony cyberstalking.

Noshirvan has stated that it would be unfair to assign blame to him for the suicide.

In a video explaining his channel, Noshirvan defines his work as a public service focused on public accountability. He states his goal is to identify individuals in viral videos to help victims achieve justice and pressure authorities to act.

He says, “we’re holding people accountable for doing those things.”

Additional Legal Trouble

Additionally, Noshirvan is a defendant in a separate lawsuit filed in Lake County, Florida, by financier Stephen Carega. The suit accuses Noshirvan of doxing, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging he fabricated a story that Carega “brandished a firearm” and was part of a “lynch mob.”

The federal case involving Chiappetta and Noshirvan is scheduled for a hearing on September 10, 2025. The court has not yet ruled on the motion for $100,000 in sanctions. Failure by Noshirvan to comply with a federal court order to pay sanctions can result in escalating penalties and dismissal of the case.  An indictment in Denton on felony charges would be far worse – his possible extradition and criminal trial.

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

Frank Parlato

Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist, media strategist, publisher, and legal consultant.

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