Rodney Phipps, Swatting, Delaware 2015

Georgetown Man, 29, Charged with Making Hoax Emergency Calls Across the Country

WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury charged Rodney Phipps, 29, of Georgetown, with harassing individuals across the country by telephone, through a process known as “swatting.”

“Swatting” involves making hoax emergency calls in order to elicit an armed police response (e.g., from a SWAT team) for the purpose of harassing someone believed to be at the location of the purported emergency.

According to allegations in the Indictment, from in or around August 2015 through August 2017, Phipps placed swatting calls from Delaware to police departments and emergency dispatch centers across the country, including calls to Harrison, New Jersey; Opelousas, Louisiana; Russel County, Kentucky; Pasco County, Florida; and Forsyth County, Georgia.

The Indictment charges Phipps with five counts of making interstate threats and one count of making a false threat involving explosives. The interstate threat charges carry a five-year maximum term of imprisonment. The false threat involving explosives charge carries a ten-year maximum term of imprisonment.

“Swatting phone calls have the potential to put the lives of law enforcement officers, the intended victim, and innocent bystanders at risk,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss. “Responding to such calls also misdirects resources from local law enforcement and emergency service agencies that could have been used for legitimate emergencies.

“As alleged, Mr. Phipps orchestrated an extensive, multi-faceted swatting campaign that caused a significant amount of angst, alarm, and unnecessary expenditure of limited law enforcement resources,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone, FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI Baltimore Cyber Task Force, working jointly with the Delaware State Police - Troop 4, the Georgetown Delaware Police Department, and the Delaware United States Attorney's Office hope this arrest will deter others from engaging in similar criminal conduct.

This case is being investigated by FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse S. Wenger.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Rodney Phipps

Criminal Charges: Five counts of making interstate threats and one count of making a false threat involving explosives

City and State: Georgetown, Delaware

Exact Date: August 2015 through August 2017 (crime date)

Sentence or Outcome: Currently awaiting trial

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-de/pr/georgetown-man-indicted-federal-grand-jury-swatting