Teen Charged With 73 Counts Over Nationwide Swatting Rampage

A 17-year-old who made phony phone calls to multiple law enforcement agencies in August now faces 73 counts of juvenile delinquency. Putnam County was among the communities affected by the hoax.

On the evening of Aug. 11, 2018, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a hostage situation at a house on Ressique Road in the Town of Kent. The caller alleged that he had an AR 15, had shot his wife and was now holding his son hostage.

Sheriff’s Deputies, Sheriff’s Investigators, members of the Emergency Response Team and Kent Police Department responded.

Members of the Sheriff’s Department were able to get in contact with the homeowner who stated he was out of state with his family and advised that the house should be unoccupied. A neighbor was able to provide a key to the home.

The Sheriff’s Department and ERT team set up a perimeter around the house. Sergeant Thomas Lee, Deputy Ronald Yeager, Deputy Michael Varley and Deputy Chris Conley entered and cleared both floors of the residence confirming that the home was unoccupied and there was no hostage or other emergency situation.

The matter was turned over to the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for
further investigation. During the investigation, Investigators were able to get information about the phone used to make the “fake” emergency call. They also learned that there were similar incidents in other jurisdictions around the United States.

"Swatting" is the act of deceiving an emergency service into sending SWAT or other police and special response teams — usually with phony reports of bombs, murder or hostage-taking.

The investigators, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies from around the country,
were able to identify the caller and determine that the calls originated in Mahoning County, Ohio.

The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office agreed to handle charges related to the crimes, and on Feb. 27, 2019, 73 counts of delinquency were filed in Mahoning County against a 17-year-old Ohio resident. The charges against the young man, whose name was not released, include 40 felonies and 33 misdemeanors.