A teenager from California, Alan W. Filion, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison by United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza for making interstate threats. Filion, 18, engaged in a swatting spree that involved over 375 calls across the United States between August 2022 and January 2024.

According to court documents, Filion's actions included false claims of planted bombs and threats of mass shootings targeting religious institutions, educational facilities, government officials, and individuals nationwide. His intention was to provoke large-scale responses from police and emergency services using fabricated information about explosives and violent crimes.

In some cases, these false reports led armed law enforcement officers to enter residences with weapons drawn. Filion boasted online about his ability to manipulate police responses, claiming that he could have victims and their families detained during such incidents.

Filion admitted to using swatting both as a form of entertainment and for profit. He posted on social media about turning swatting into a business venture around six to nine months before his arrest.

His arrest occurred on January 18, 2024, in California due to charges related to a threat made against a religious institution in Sanford, Florida. In this incident from May 2023, he falsely claimed possession of illegal firearms and explosives with the intent to commit mass violence.

Filion also pleaded guilty to other threatening calls: one in October 2022 involving a high school in Washington; another in May 2023 targeting a Historically Black College & University in Florida; and a July 2023 call where he impersonated a federal officer while threatening police officers responding to an alleged crime scene in Texas.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service with support from various local law enforcement agencies across multiple states. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick with assistance from several judicial districts' offices.