U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Dawnn Marie Walters, a resident of Rochester, New York, has been sentenced to one year probation, including six months of home detention. Walters was convicted for her role in a conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers. The sentence was handed down by U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright provided details on the case, stating that in August 2023, law enforcement began investigating a swatting call in the Rochester area. Swatting involves making false reports of serious crimes to prompt an emergency response from law enforcement. In this incident, individuals impersonated another person identified as C.F., falsely claiming they had committed a shooting at C.F.'s parents' address.
The investigation revealed that Walters participated in online discussions about targeting C.F. and her devices. Walters agreed to help a co-conspirator access C.F.'s device, which led to unauthorized entry into C.F.'s online accounts, including their personal email account. Emails were then sent from C.F.'s account to multiple Monroe County Legislators and New York State Assembly members containing threats and personal information meant to incriminate C.F.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm and the Orleans County Sheriff's Office led by Sheriff Christopher Bourque.
