Swatting Prankster Gets A Year In Jail

Remember, folks — a prank is only a prank if it is harmless. "Swatting", the act of calling in fake threats to get a SWAT team/law enforcement to raid someone's home, doesn't fall under that definition. It is a foolish, potentially deadly "prank" that can get someone seriously hurt and, at a minimum, ties up law enforcement services that may be needed elsewhere. States have started cracking down hard against such pranksters.

According to NJ.com, Matthew Tollis, a 22-year-old from Connecticut, has been sentenced to a year in prison. Tollis was part of a collective reportedly responsible for a swatting event that happened in New Jersey; he is said to have participated in swatting 'pranks' that happened in Massachusetts, Texas, and Connecticut as well.

That group was reportedly a collective of Xbox gamers called "TCOD", which stood for "TeAM Crucifix or Die". In one case, a bomb threat was called against St. John Vianney High School in January 2014; that resulted in students being evacuated and law enforcement being called. The next day, another threat was made, that time again Allentown High Schoo. It, too, was a hoax.

Back in June of this year, Tollis plead guilty to conspiring to engage in the malicious conveying of false information. According to NJ, Tollis is currently free on bail, but will be turning himself in on November 15. Once his sentence is served, he'll have to perform 300 hours of community service and will be supervised for three years.

SOURCE: NeoGAF