The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office received information from the Department of Homeland Security through its New York Field Office, which sparked the inquiry. Toney was charged after a comprehensive investigation by the Rutherford County Criminal Investigations Division, a member of the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Toney was sentenced to a minimum of 36 months and a maximum of 104 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections. This sentence falls in line with North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing Guidelines, as Toney was a Level 1 Offender.