Michael Tollis of Wethersfield, Connecticut has been sentenced to a year and one day in prison for his part in a series of swatting calls made in 2015. He acted as part of a group known as TCOD (TeAM CrucifiX or Die), and was involved in at least six calls, one of which called a Police team out to the University of Connecticut and caused the entire campus to be put on lockdown for three hours.
Swatting is the practice of calling in a hoax emergency call to 911 and having a armed police unit investigate. It’s a massively traumatic event for the innocent people who are suddenly arrested by a SWAT team. In gaming circles, it’s often targeted at streamers who are then arrested while broadcasting to the world.
As part of TCOD, Tollis found locations for the swatters to target, along with phone numbers and other information required. He was arrested for his part in the acts last September, and pleaded guilty to the charges facing him in June. His sentenced was passed last week, and his year and a day prison time will begin November 5th.
“Swatting is not a schoolboy prank, it’s a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Dierdre Daly in an interview with Fox. “These hoaxes have expended critical law enforcement resources and caused severe emotional distress for thousands of victims.”
Other members of TCOD are believed to live in the UK, and the FBI are working with UK police to find them.
Thanks, PC Gamer.