3 Teens, 1 Va Man Nabbed for Swatting Spree

Baltimore, MD – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, which was unsealed earlier today, charging Owen Jarboe, 18, of Hagerstown, MD, Evan Strauss, 26, of Moneta, VA, and Brayden Grace, 18, of Columbus, OH, with conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.

The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to the six-count superseding indictment, from approximately December 10, 2023, through at least January 18, 2024, Evan Strauss, Owen Jarboe, and Brayden Grace, along with other conspirators, knowingly and unlawfully conspired to place and cause to be placed swatting calls to multiple police and emergency departments across the United States.

The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants were part of an online group known as “Purgatory” and that they used multiple online social media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan their swatting activities and to announce swats that they had conducted.

Among the swatting incidents alleged in the superseding indictment are:

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.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison 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.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its outstanding work in the investigation and praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Columbus, OH Police Department, Newark, DE Police Department, Lenoir City, TN Police Department, Albany, NY Police Department, Albany County, NY Sheriff’s Office, Fairburn City, GA Police Department, Bethel Park, PA Police Department, Giles County, VA Sheriff’s Office, Blue Springs, MO Police Department, Tarboro, NC Police Department, Boston, MA Police Department, Dodge County, GA Sheriff’s Office, Houston County, AL Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance.

Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Robert I. Goldaris, who are prosecuting the case.