LOS ANGELES, CA – A California teenager was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison for making hundreds of swatting calls across the United States, including threats against schools, religious institutions, and government officials, federal prosecutors announced.
Alan W. Filion, 18, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty in November to four counts of making interstate threats to injure others. Prosecutors said he was responsible for more than 375 swatting and threat calls between August 2022 and January 2024, targeting locations nationwide.
Swatting involves making false emergency calls to law enforcement, often claiming violent crimes are in progress, to provoke a large police response, sometimes including SWAT teams. Authorities say Filion’s calls included bomb threats, threats of mass shootings, and false claims of violent attacks, often leading to panic and heavy police deployments.
Many of the hoax calls were made when Filion was 16. One of his earliest incidents, in October 2022, involved a call to a high school in Washington state, where he falsely claimed to have planted explosives and planned a mass shooting.
In May 2023, he targeted a historically Black college in Florida, stating that bombs had been placed inside dormitory walls and ceilings. Authorities said the threats prompted emergency evacuations and significant law enforcement responses.
Filion also impersonated law enforcement officers. In a July 2023 call to a Texas police dispatch center, he falsely identified himself as a senior federal officer, claimed to have murdered the officer’s mother, and threatened to kill responding police.
Prosecutors said Filion’s actions disrupted daily life for countless individuals, caused financial strain on law enforcement agencies, and instilled fear in targeted communities.
As part of his plea deal, Filion admitted responsibility for his crimes and agreed to cooperate with authorities. In addition to his prison sentence, he faces supervised release and potential restitution costs to cover emergency response expenses triggered by his hoax calls.
Federal authorities emphasized the severity of swatting incidents, which have increased in frequency in recent years. “Swatting is not a harmless prank—it is a dangerous and costly crime that puts lives at risk,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Law enforcement agencies continue to crack down on such offenses, warning that individuals involved in swatting schemes will face significant legal consequences.
