A teenager from California has admitted to charges related to a series of swatting incidents targeting various locations and individuals in Florida and beyond, according to federal prosecutors.
Alan W. Filion, an 18-year-old from Lancaster, California, pleaded guilty to four counts of making interstate threats to injure another person, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Each charge could lead to a maximum sentence of five years in prison, though the court has yet to set a date for sentencing.
Swatting is the act of placing a false call to emergency services to provoke a large police response at a specific location. While bomb threats have been occurring for many years in the U.S., swatting has gained popularity recently, especially among individuals and groups targeting celebrities and public figures.
“For over a year, Alan Filion unleashed a barrage of false threats against religious groups, schools, public officials, and numerous other innocent victims, claiming imminent mass shootings, bombings, and other violent crimes. His actions incited intense fear and disorder, and he will now be held accountable for his behavior,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in a statement.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate articulated that Filion’s intentions were clear: to inflict maximum distress while also monetizing his threats through a swatting-for-hire scheme.
“Swatting creates significant dangers for first responders and involves victims, squanders valuable resources, and incites fear within communities. The FBI is committed to collaborating with partners to thoroughly investigate and take action against anyone involved in such reckless actions,” Abbate remarked.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that Filion was responsible for more than 375 swatting and threat calls between August 2022 and January 2024. His calls included claims of planted bombs at various locations, along with threats of bombings and mass shootings.
His targets encompassed religious organizations, high schools, colleges, government officials, and individuals all across the United States, with most of the calls being made when he was just 16 years old.
Additionally, Filion confessed to three other threats, which included an October 2022 call to a high school in Washington where he warned of a mass shooting and claimed to have planted bombs in the school. He also admitted to a May 2023 threat against a historically black college in Florida, asserting that he had placed bombs in the dormitory walls and ceilings set to detonate within an hour. Another incident involved a July 2023 call to a police department in Texas, where he falsely presented himself as a federal law enforcement officer, claiming to have murdered the officer’s mother and threatening to kill any police who responded.
