TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — A California teen has pleaded guilty to making “hundreds” of swatting calls, including in the state of Florida, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
The DOJ said Alan Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of four counts of making interstate threats to injure the person of another.
“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.”…