United States Attorney David Metcalf announced on Apr. 30 that charges have been filed against a juvenile in connection with a series of swatting calls directed at universities and other institutions in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere during August 2025.
Swatting calls are hoax emergency reports, often involving false claims of imminent violence, made to prompt law enforcement—particularly special weapons and tactics teams—to respond to an unsuspecting victim’s location. According to the announcement, these incidents are typically intended to harass individuals or raise the caller’s profile within online communities by causing disruption and fear.
Metcalf said the defendant identified as a member of the cybercriminal group “Purgatory” and chose targets at random without any affiliation to those institutions. The statement noted that swatting has become more common recently, wasting resources for local police departments and first responders who treat each call as an actual threat. “The perpetrators are often part of online cybercriminal communities and believe that they will not be caught or punished. They are wrong. Federal law enforcement will investigate and prosecute these crimes regardless of who commits them or where they reside,” Metcalf said.
Victim institutions affected by this case will receive instructions on how to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is required by law to identify and inform victims about federal crimes under investigation. The case was investigated by the FBI, Radnor Township Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Upper Merion Police Department, along with assistance from various state, local, university police departments, ambulance companies, fire companies, and other first responders across Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Authorities emphasized that all charges are accusations at this stage; every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Due to federal confidentiality laws regarding juveniles accused in such cases—specifically limitations set forth under 18 U.S.C. § 5038—the identity of the juvenile involved cannot be disclosed.
