Summary

Alan Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, pleaded guilty to four counts of making interstate threats in one of the most prolific “swatting” cases ever prosecuted.

Filion made over 375 swatting and threat calls from August 2022 to January 2023, targeting schools, religious institutions, government officials, and FBI agents.

Prosecutors say he turned swatting into a business, advertising his services on social media for profit.

His hoaxes, which included bomb and mass shooting threats, caused widespread fear and chaos. Filion faces up to 20 years in prison.

  • domdanial@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    ·
    1 month ago

    My guess is that he is only being charged with provable swats after he was 18, greatly reducing the counts.

    • Makeitstop@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      1 month ago

      Just speculating here, but if a few additional counts aren’t likely to add significant time to his sentence, they might also be saving some for later in case they lose or the case gets thrown out for some reason.

      • RubberDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 month ago

        Or when convicted of these… he gets sent to the next state where his did it to stand trial there. He’s probably also in for a significant amount of civil suits… I’d guess about 300.