A California teenager admitted to phoning in hundreds of false bomb and mass shooting threats to schools, religious institutions and government officials across the nation, causing widespread concern.
18-year-old Alan Filion made over 375 "swatting" calls from August of 2022, when he was just 16, to January of this year. The calls were made for profit or entertainment, earning Filion the label of a "serial swatter", according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
A California teenager has been arrested for serial swatting.
— Amiri King (@AmiriKing) January 31, 2024
17 year old Alan Filion, also known as 'Torswats,' is now in custody with Florida officials.
What should his punishment be?
Genuinely curious. pic.twitter.com/tisHXOUjPc
On Wednesday, Filion pleaded guilty to four counts of making interstate threats to injure the person of another, facing a maximum of five years in prison for each count. The charges were brought under the Federal Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JDA) as he was 17 when they were levied, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
Swatting incidents occurring in a plethora of other states, including Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington and Texas, have now been attributed to him.
"This prosecution and today's guilty plea reaffirm the Justice Department's commitment to using all tools to hold accountable every individual who endangers our communities through swatting and hoax threats," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. "For well over a year, Alan Filion targeted religious institutions, schools, government officials, and other innocent victims with hundreds of false threats of imminent mass shootings, bombings and other violent crimes. He caused profound fear and chaos and will now face the consequences of his actions."
Filion, who was extradited to Florida from California for swatting Masjid Al Hayy Mosque in Sanford in 2022, would post to Telegram and offer swatting services to potential customers. In the Sanford incident, Filion called the mosque and claimed to be in possession of an illegally modified AR-15, a Glock 17 pistol, pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails.
"Alan Filion not only intended to cause as much harm as possible, but he also attempted to profit from these criminal activities by offering swatting-for-a-fee services," said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. "Swatting poses severe danger to first responders and victims, wastes significant time and resources, and creates fear in communities. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who engages in these activities."
He is set to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025.
Originally published by Latin Times.
