Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking turn of events, three individuals are facing serious federal charges for their involvement in swatting activities across the country. The superseding indictment, 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, charges Owen Jarboe, age 18, of Hagerstown, Maryland, Evan Strauss, age 26, of Moneta, Virginia, and Brayden Grace, age 18, of Columbus, Ohio, with conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
The indictment alleges that the defendants, along with other conspirators, knowingly and unlawfully conspired to place and caused 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.
The swatting incidents alleged in the superseding indictment are a chilling reminder of the dangers of swatting. Among the incidents listed 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 explosives.
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, Ohio Police Department, Newark, Delaware Police Department, Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department, Albany, New York Police Department, Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office, Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department, Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department, Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department, Boston, Massachusetts Police Department, Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Robert I. Goldaris. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
The superseding indictment serves as a warning to those who engage in swatting activities: you will be caught and you will face serious consequences. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The indictment is a reminder that swatting is a serious crime with serious consequences. The defendants and their conspirators put lives at risk with their reckless behavior, and they will now face the full force of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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