'Serial Swatter' Who Made Nearly 400 Threatening Calls Gets 4 Years In Prison (thehill.com) 46
Alan W. Filion, an 18-year-old from Lancaster, Calif., was sentenced to four years in prison for making nearly 400 false bomb threats and threats of violence (source may be paywalled; alternative source) to religious institutions, schools, universities and homes across the country. The New York Times reports: The threatening calls Mr. Filion made would often cause large deployments of police officers to a targeted location, the Justice Department said in a news release. In some cases, officers would enter people's homes with their weapons drawn and detain those inside. In January 2023, Mr. Filion wrote on social media that his swats had often led the police to "drag the victim and their families out of the house cuff them and search the house for dead bodies."
Investigators linked Mr. Filion to over 375 swatting calls made in several states, including one that he made to the police in Sanford, Fla., saying that he would commit a mass shooting at the Masjid Al Hayy Mosque. During the call, he played audio of gunfire in the background. Mr. Filion was arrested in California in January 2024, and was then extradited to Florida to face state charges for making that threat. Mr. Filion began swatting for recreation in August 2022 before making it into a business, the Justice Department said. The teenager became a "serial swatter" and would make social media posts about his "swatting-for-a-fee" services, according to prosecutors.
In addition to pleading guilty to the false threat against the mosque in Florida, Mr. Filion pleaded guilty in three other swatting cases: a mass shooting threat to a public school in Washington State in October 2022; a bomb threat call to a historically Black college or university in Florida in May 2023; and a July 2023 call in which he claimed to be a federal law enforcement officer in Texas and told dispatchers that he had killed his mother and would kill any responding officers.
Investigators linked Mr. Filion to over 375 swatting calls made in several states, including one that he made to the police in Sanford, Fla., saying that he would commit a mass shooting at the Masjid Al Hayy Mosque. During the call, he played audio of gunfire in the background. Mr. Filion was arrested in California in January 2024, and was then extradited to Florida to face state charges for making that threat. Mr. Filion began swatting for recreation in August 2022 before making it into a business, the Justice Department said. The teenager became a "serial swatter" and would make social media posts about his "swatting-for-a-fee" services, according to prosecutors.
In addition to pleading guilty to the false threat against the mosque in Florida, Mr. Filion pleaded guilty in three other swatting cases: a mass shooting threat to a public school in Washington State in October 2022; a bomb threat call to a historically Black college or university in Florida in May 2023; and a July 2023 call in which he claimed to be a federal law enforcement officer in Texas and told dispatchers that he had killed his mother and would kill any responding officers.
Why didn't he get a longer sentence? (Score:3, Interesting)
400 swatting calls is pretty egregious.
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Re: Why didn't he get a longer sentence? (Score:4, Insightful)
That's about white.
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I see what you did there. No comment.
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But he's a white racist kid from conservative Lancaster north of Los Angeles so that wasn't going to happen.
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Trump would have pardoned him
Trump would have given him a medal.
Re: Why didn't he get a longer sentence? (Score:2)
Swatting has been known to cause various injuries, up to and including death.
Though not in those 400 instances, apparently.
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He pleaded to federal charges, but only "interstate transmission of threats to injure", which apparently don't fall under terrorism.
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Re: Why didn't he get a longer sentence? (Score:2)
Fist, fault isn't a zero-sum game. Just because society has 100% fault, it doesn't mean there's nothing left for the kid.
And yes, incident #1 of swatting is already society's fault. Literally no other country has this (except maybe in extremely rare circumstances), and not for lack of idiots, terrorists, threats or cops. Most understand that the factual ability to run around with and in gear that would put an WW2 army to shame comes with the responsibility of extra precautions when, and kn particular BEFORE
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Should be 1 month.
That'll be a bit over 33 years.
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It seems that this prosecution is a travesty. 400 Instances of swatting Including swatting for profit, and only charged with making threats? This criminal conduct is very dangerous for victims of swatting - It is so much more than a threat. Innocent people have suffered physical harms, and there are even deaths due to swatting offenses.
The additional actions should have added conspiracy and racketeering charges for assault. He and his accomplishes; should have gotten a minimum of 15 years a piece
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Because the police officer who doesn't shoot first and ask questions later is fired. [cnn.com]
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Because the police officer who doesn't shoot first and ask questions later is fired.
The criminals responsible for these incidents are aware of that, so they are also criminally liable for the likely action of police. These type of attacks ought to be regarded the same as attempted murders and punished similarly. A shooting is a thing that happens and is at a high risk, but these incidents can be fatal even without any shooting at all. The mere disturbance is an act of Life-threatening violence in an
States Evidence (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently he's helping the FBI track down all the people who hired him, which got a bunch of time knocked off his sentence.
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He only pled guilty to 4 cases. I bet Florida can't prosecute the ones that weren't called in to Florida, so maybe some other states will get on this and he'll get more time.
Re:Why didn't he get a longer sentence? (Score:4, Insightful)
But he is white, and the threats were only against non-people like Muslims, blacks, immigrants and evil liberal strongholds like schools and libraries.
In this timeline, dude will not serve long and will get appointed to a cabinet position once he is pardoned
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400 swatting calls is pretty egregious.
I guess I'm old. One swatting call is pretty egregious in my opinion. When I first heard about swatting a couple decades back I wasn't sure which was more appalling, the fact that people were doing it and getting people killed or that it was common enough to have a name.
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If he can't pay, he can assist with training. IE random 2 am SWAT raids on his place.
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Or at least made to pay restitution to all the law enforcement depts who wasted their time responding to the calls. That should add up to a pretty penny.
Since cops are absolutely worthless 99% of the time, it'll add up to about tree fiddy.
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The judge felt sorry for him having to live in Lancaster.
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The judge felt sorry for him having to live in Lancaster.
Born and raised there - the struggle is real.
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400 swatting calls is pretty egregious.
Especially when you consider some of the places targeted. May his fellow prisoners find out who he nailed.
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Maybe someone should call Bubba and let him know his name and location.
Re: Hope Filion meets Bubba in Prision (Score:3)
Ha ha ha, a rape joke hilarious
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No it's not (Score:1)
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Prison rape is not a joke.
Prison rape is not a joke, Jim.
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Prison rape is not a joke.
Yeah, that was the point.
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Crime doesn't pay.
Just watch (Score:2)
He'll get someone on the outside to smuggle him a cell phone.
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good lord (Score:3)
I hope he has more charges to face.
Too lenient (Score:2)
400 charges of attempted murder is what it shoulda been. Everyone knows how trigger happy the cops are. There have been enough incidents on the news of people being killed in swatting attacks that he can't claim in was intended as a harmless prank. Let's assume he did think that (yeah right, be real), it is still extreme negligent behavior. 4 years isn't that long a time he may be out before we escape the Trump presidency.