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Teen 'serial swatter' behind hundreds of hoax threats across U.S. pleads guilty

www.nbcnews.com Teen 'serial swatter' behind hundreds of hoax threats across U.S. pleads guilty

Alan Filion, 18, became a “serial swatter” for profit and entertainment and made more than 375 swatting and threat calls, federal officials say.

Teen 'serial swatter' behind hundreds of hoax threats across U.S. pleads guilty

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.

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