Teen could face decades in prison as FBI cracks massive swatting operation via Discord, Telegram, and YouTube

Alan Winston Filion, an 18-year-old from California, has pleaded guilty to federal charges in a swatting case involving over 375 fake bomb and shooting threats. For reference, swatting refers to the act of making false emergency calls to send heavily armed law enforcement, like SWAT teams, to a specific location under the guise of an imminent threat. Filion’s hoaxes targeted schools, religious institutions, and high-profile political figures, sending law enforcement into panic mode across the U.S. 

Authorities say Filion, who operated under the alias “Torswats,” orchestrated these threats between August 2022 and January 2024. His actions disrupted educational institutions and even impacted government officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Senator Rick Scott. The case, which is being deemed as one of the largest swatting prosecutions, was pieced together using digital evidence from platforms like Telegram, Discord, and YouTube.

Private investigator Brad Dennis played a key role in Filion’s arrest by infiltrating online communities linked to Torswats and gathering critical information. Dennis provided the FBI with usernames, IP addresses, and server details, which eventually led to Filion’s identification and subsequent capture.

Despite the arrest, swatting incidents linked to the Torswats handle didn't stop. Threats continued as late as November 2023. These acts inflicted financial and emotional strain on multiple communities, with one series of threats costing Washington schools nearly $300,000 in lost instructional time.

Filion’s sentencing is pending, but he could face decades in prison given the scale and severity of his actions - that's up to five years in prison for each of the four counts of making interstate threats. Law enforcement officials are still working to hold all individuals involved in such operations accountable.