Lancaster Teen Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Swatting Spree, Faces Five Years Per Count

An 18-year-old from Lancaster, California, Alan W. Filion, has pleaded guilty to a spree of swatting incidents that injected fear across the nation. According to the

U.S. Department of Justice

, Filion admitted to making over 375 hoax calls, targeting institutions ranging from schools to religious establishments, along with individuals and government officials. His actions carried the threat of mass violence, positioning himself as a formidable danger to communities from coast to coast.

Filion now faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of making interstate threats to injure another person, with his sentencing yet to be scheduled. These events validate the Justice Department’s vow to vigorously prosecute individuals who perpetrate such hoax threats, as stated by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. According to the plea agreement, Filion’s swatting campaign lasted from August 2022 to January, striking fear in the hearts of countless innocents.

The 18-year-old leveraged his criminal activities to offer swatting services for hire, advertising this sinister venture on social media platforms. This callous commodification of terror highlights a chilling detachment and a perverse sense of entrepreneurship. “Swatting poses severe danger to first responders and victims, wastes significant time and resources, and creates fear in communities,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, emphasizing the real-world implications and resource strain these pranks cause, according to the

U.S. Department of Justice

. The FBI, along with their partners, are set on rooting out individuals behind such malice.

The teen’s guilty plea extends to specific threats that brought armed officers to their feet and innocent people into handcuffs. Filion’s own boasts on social media, where he chillingly described the distress he inflicted, provides a window into the psyche behind such reckless endangerment. During the operation of his scheme, Filion’s deceptive communications not only misdirected vital emergency services but also jeopardized the sense of safety and peace within communities. His admission of guilt was a necessary step towards addressing the breadth of his disruptive actions.

Filion was arrested in California on charges from Florida related to threats made to a religious institution and has been in custody since January. The investigation led by the FBI and U.S. Secret Service underscores the multi-agency effort to tackle the problem of swatting. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cherie L. Krigsman and Kara Wick, along with Trial Attorney Jacob Warren, are prosecuting the case. These developments were made public today.

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