Alan W. Filion, 18, of Lancaster, California, pleaded guilty today in Florida to four counts of making interstate threats, admitting to a spree of hoax calls that terrorized schools, religious institutions, and individuals across the U.S.
Filion now faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, with sentencing yet to be scheduled.
Filion’s guilty plea comes after a lengthy investigation revealed his involvement in over 375 “swatting” calls between August 2022 and January 2024. Using aliases and social media platforms, Filion targeted victims nationwide, making false threats about bombings and mass shootings to provoke a large-scale police response.
His hoaxes led to armed law enforcement raids on homes, disrupting emergency services and causing panic in communities.
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“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.”
“Alan Filion not only intended to cause as much harm as possible, but he also attempted to profit from these criminal activities by offering swatting-for-a-fee services,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Swatting poses severe danger to first responders and victims, wastes significant time and resources, and creates fear in communities. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who engages in these activities.”
Filion’s swatting activities were not merely recreational; he monetized his schemes by offering “swatting-for-hire” services.
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According to court records, he openly advertised these services on social media, turning his illegal activities into a business. In a January 2023 post, Filion boasted about the chaos he could cause, claiming he typically forced police to detain families at gunpoint during his swatting calls.
A Multi-State Crime Spree
Filion’s charges stem from several high-profile incidents, including:
- An October 2022 threat to a high school in Washington, where he falsely claimed to have planted explosives.
- A May 2023 threat to a Historically Black College in Florida, where he claimed bombs were set to detonate in student housing.
- A July 2023 hoax call to Texas law enforcement, where he impersonated a federal officer, provided false information, and threatened to kill responding officers.
Filion was arrested in January 2024 on state charges related to a May 2023 threat against a religious institution in Sanford, Florida, where he claimed to have an arsenal of weapons and threatened a mass shooting.
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