Man arrested after placing ‘swatting call’ threatening to bomb BNA
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that a Riverside, California man was arrested on an 18-count indictment alleging that he placed “swatting calls” that threatened to commit mass violence at schools and to bomb Nashville International Airport (BNA) on behalf of ISIS.
According to the indictment, 31-year-old Eduardo Vicente Pelayo Rodriguez is charged with one count of stalking, seven counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce, three counts of transmitting threats or false information regarding fire and explosives, and seven counts engaging in hoaxes. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Riverside, California.
The Justice Department alleged that he placed “swatting calls,” which are calls that falsely report in the name of another person that an emergency is either in progress or about to occur. Under these false pretenses, emergency services or law enforcement respond to that person’s location to investigate.
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Per the indictment, Rodriguez impersonated a victim more than a dozen times between January and February 2023, calling a suicide prevention center and a veterans crisis hotline. Under this false identity, he allegedly indicated that he was contemplating suicide or harming others before calling staff at seven different schools in California and Sandy Hook, Connecticut. With each call, he allegedly either threatened a mass shooting or bombing. He finally called BNA, allegedly saying that he had planted a bomb on a plane at the airport, adding “this is for ISIS,” and “one hour, boom.”
“Mr. Rodriguez is alleged to have conducted swatting attacks, to include the callous targeting of an open wound at Sandy Hook, without regard for the potential consequences of this insidious type of hoax,” said Krysti Hawkins, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Perpetrators of swatting hoaxes should understand that the FBI and our local partners take these threats seriously and that the penalties – if convicted – are considerable.”
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If convicted of these charges, Rodriguez would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for stalking, five years for each threat count, five years for each hoax count, and 10 years on each count relating to fire and explosives.
“The sorts of ‘swatting’ crimes alleged against this defendant are highly troubling,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The indictment alleges that the defendant placed calls to schools, airports, and other locations that were designed to cause maximum fear and trigger an emergency response. ‘Swatting’ is a serious crime that can cause great trauma and risk loss of life, so it is important that we hold wrongdoers accountable.”
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