A California teen, Alan W. Filion, has pleaded guilty to four federal charges for making a series of dangerous and disruptive swatting threats, including bombings, mass shootings, and other violent crimes. Filion, 18, from Lancaster, California, faces up to five years in prison for each of the four counts, with sentencing set for February 11, 2025.
Filion’s guilty plea comes after more than a year of terrorizing communities across the U.S. with hundreds of fake threats that triggered large-scale emergency responses and widespread panic. Between August 2022 and January 2024, Filion made over 375 swatting calls, targeting schools, religious institutions, government officials, and private citizens. In these calls, he falsely claimed to have planted explosives or to be planning mass shootings, forcing law enforcement to rush to these locations, often with weapons drawn.
“This prosecution sends a clear message that the Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those who cause harm and fear through hoaxes and swatting,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Alan Filion’s actions not only endangered the public but caused significant disruption to law enforcement and emergency services.”
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate also condemned Filion’s actions, which he said posed “severe danger to first responders and victims,” while wasting valuable resources. Filion even advertised his swatting services online, offering them for a fee, which he turned into a profitable criminal enterprise.
According to court documents, Filion began his swatting spree at just 16 years old and continued through his teen years. He boasted about using the hoaxes to cause fear and chaos, with the intention of “dragging victims and their families out of their houses” as part of his pranks. He also claimed to profit from these dangerous activities, offering swatting services for a fee.
Filion’s criminal activities included several high-profile threats. In May 2023, he made a harrowing threat against a religious institution in Sanford, Florida, claiming to possess weapons and explosives, and threatening a mass shooting. He was arrested on January 18, 2024, in California in connection with that threat and other swatting incidents.
The teen also pleaded guilty to making threatening calls to a Washington high school, a Historically Black College and University in Florida, and a Texas police department. Each call included false claims of bombs, shootings, or other violence, putting innocent people in harm’s way and tying up law enforcement resources.
Filion’s case highlights the growing problem of “swatting,” a dangerous and illegal practice where individuals make false emergency reports to trigger a heavy police response. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies continue to warn of the severe risks associated with these hoaxes, not only to public safety but also to the significant financial and resource strains they place on local authorities.
The Department of Justice has emphasized that this case is part of a broader effort to combat swatting and other malicious hoaxes that disrupt communities and endanger lives. As Filion awaits sentencing, his case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of making false threats in an age where online actions can have real-world repercussions.
