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WICHITA, Kansas – A California man was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for making false emergency calls to US authorities, including one who led police to kill a Kansas man following a two-to-one conflict. online gamblers for a bet of $ 1.50 the Call of Duty: video game of the second world war.
US District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced Tyler R. Barriss, 26, under an agreement in which he pleaded guilty in November to 51 federal charges related to false calls and threats. The plea agreement provided for a sentence of at least 20 years – well beyond the 10 years recommended in the sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors estimate that it is the longest prison sentence ever imposed for the practice of "swatting", a form of retaliation in which a person reports a false urgency to bring the authorities, especially a SWAT team, to go down on an address.
Melgren said the case was entering "an unexplored legal territory", that the law was not catching up with the technology and that the charges did not address the seriousness of what had happened.
The death of Andrew Finch, 28, in 2017, drew the country's attention to the attack. But Barriss had already made dozens of such calls before and was "known as the guy on Twitter the better," said his lawyer, Richard Federico.
The authorities claim that an Ohio player recruited Barriss to "replace" a Wichita player, but that the address used was old, leading the police to Finch, who was not there. not involved in the video game or in the conflict. On December 28, 2017, Barriss called the Wichita Police of Los Angeles to falsely report a shooting and abduction at Wichita's address. Finch answered the door and an officer shot the unarmed man.
Barriss apologized to Finch's family on Friday, asserting that he took full responsibility for what had happened.
"If I could get it back, I would, but I can not do anything," Barriss told the court. "I'm so sorry for that."
Federico described Barriss as a loner who "found solace in the community of players" as he became a "serial striker". His best friend is someone he only knows online, Frederico said. His father died when he was young and his mother abandoned him.
Outside the courthouse, Finch's sister, Dominica Finch, said Barriss had got what he deserved, but that she also wanted the police to be held accountable. Finch's family sued the city of Wichita and the officers involved. Police said that the officer who shot at Finch thought he was looking for a gun because he had moved his hand to his belt. Prosecutors refused to charge the police.
Sedgwick County Attorney Marc Bennett defended this decision.
"I sympathize a lot with the Finch family, but in the end, my determination must match what the law allows," Bennett said.
The lawsuit against Barriss in Wichita has consolidated other federal proceedings against him in California and the District of Columbia, involving similar appeals and threats. Bennett also announced Friday that he would waive state charges, including involuntary manslaughter, because Mr. Barriss would be facing more jail sentences than the court of the day. 39; State.
The FBI acknowledged that swatting was an emerging threat as early as 2008, pointing out that it had become commonplace among players.
"We hope this will send a strong message about swatting, a juvenile and senseless practice," US Attorney Stephen McAllister told reporters. "We would like to end it within the community of players and any other contact.Swatting, as I have already said, is not a joke."
The target Wichita, Shane Gaskill, 20, and the man who would have recruited Barriss, Casey Viner, 19, from North College Hill, Ohio, are accused of conspiracy. The authorities claim that Viner provided Barriss with an address for Gaskill, which Gaskill had previously communicated to Viner. Authorities also said that when Gaskill noticed that Barriss was following him on Twitter, he had given him this old address and caused him to "try something".
Viner and Gaskill pleaded not guilty, including for conspiracy to obstruct justice, wire fraud and other charges. Viner informed the court of his intention to change his plea at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Gaskill's trial was postponed until April 23, following plea discussions with federal prosecutors.
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