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This week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Owen Jarboe, 18, of Hagerstown, Evan Strauss, 26, of Moneta, Virginia, and Brayden Grace, 18, of Columbus, Ohio with a host of offenses for making swatting calls to multiple police and emergency departments across the country.
According to the six-count indictment, between December 2023 and January 2024, the three, along with others, were part of an online group known as "Purgatory," that used social media platforms to coordinate and plan their swatting activities.
Among the swatting incidents, federal prosecutors say that their targets included:
- A threat to burn down a residential trailer park in Alabama;
- A shooting threat against a teacher and unnamed students at a high school in Delaware;
- A shooting and bomb threat to the Albany International Airport in New York;
- A shooting and bomb threat against a casino in Ohio; and
- A multiple homicide event and shooting threat against individuals in a residence in Eastman, Georgia.
The three were charged with conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
If convicted, they will face up to five years for each count of conspiracy, cyberstalking and interstate threat and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosive.
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