Washington state man charged in more than 20 swatting calls in US, Canada pleads guilty

foxnews.com ^ | 1 day ago | Landon Mion

[V_TWIN]

A Washington state man accused of making more than 20 swatting calls across the U.S. and in Canada, leading to law enforcement responses to his false reports of bombings, shootings and other crimes, pleaded guilty.

Ashton Garcia, 21, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two counts of extortion and two counts of threats and hoaxes regarding explosives, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a news release. Garcia was initially charged with 10 felony counts.

Garcia placed the calls to agencies in Washington state, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado, as well as Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada.

According to federal prosecutors, Garcia used voice-over-internet technology to hide his identity during the calls he made in 2022 and 2023. He also called on others to listen as he broadcast the calls on the social media platform Discord.

In several incidents, Garcia collected personal information about his victims and threatened to send emergency responses to their homes if they did not send him money, credit card information or sexually explicit images.

[V_TWIN]

Nice to know they can catch these A-holes......if they want to that is

[ProtectOurFreedom]

You really have to wonder about lowlife like Garcia. What a major jerk. He should get 25 years for that.

[Honest Nigerian]

Swatting should be charged as attempted murder, at a minimum.

[cyclotic]

Good, now give this moron a choice. Three years in prison per offense, consecutively or pay all expenses to the victims plus $20,000 each for the hassle. And pay all responder expenses above and beyond normal department costs.

[AppyPappy]

He’s going to be popular in prison, probably make him head of the Cosplay Club

[blackdog]

Swatting used to be exclusively a white trash wife, single wide mobile home, cheating wife, means of getting your no good husband killed, and collect a $200K payday, at the local trailer park.

Welcome to the party.

[paulcissa]

Hope this beta-male gets some time in the cooler with LeRoy. He’ll make a nice girlfriend.

[CFW]

Obviously, this is not the “political swatter” that has been going after conservatives recently. Although recently when it was pointed out that it was only conservatives being targeted the swatters started going after others. It has been reported that Haley has been targeted twice in the past few days.

[Sirius Lee]

I hope they swatted the swatter at least.

[rickomatic]

I wonder what year he is in at Evergreen State ?

[Navy Patriot]

Life in Prison, no parole, 12 hours Restitutional Labor every day, 365.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

or pay all expenses to the victims plus $20,000 each for the hassle

It's far worse than just a hassle - SWAT responses are loud, frightening home invasions, and if you're some innocent person sitting at home, your first response might be to get your gun out and start firing. The clear intention of swatters is to get their victims shor or imprisoned. This scumbag deserves far worse than three years per incident or some fine.

[HombreSecreto]

Won’t he be popular in prison. Swatting will be the least painful thing he endures.

[who knows what evil?]

‘Here comes the bride...’

[Noumenon]

Bubba love him long time.

[cyclotic]

3 years per offense. 30 years.

[Zathras]

90% chance he was paid to do this

[antidemoncrat]

If someone can get probation for stabbing someone 108 times because of being high on pot, then this gent should use the same plea.

[Revel]

This guy should get life in prison.