A Wisconsin man, Kya Christian Nelson, 23, has pleaded guilty to participating in a "swatting" scheme that involved unauthorized access to Ring home security cameras. The scheme aimed to provoke an armed police response by making false emergency calls and then livestreaming the events on social media while sometimes taunting responding officers. This activity took place in various communities, including West Covina and Oxnard.
Nelson admitted guilt to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer. He is currently serving time in Kentucky for an unrelated case and has been in federal custody since August 2024.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally commented on the dangers of swatting, stating, "Swatting puts innocent lives in danger." He emphasized that those engaging in such conduct would face federal prosecution. Akil Davis from the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office highlighted the strain swatting incidents place on law enforcement resources and advised users of security doorbell systems to practice strong cyber hygiene.
The plea agreement details that between November 7 and November 13, 2020, Nelson and his co-conspirators accessed Ring camera accounts using compromised Yahoo! email credentials. They placed false emergency calls to local law enforcement agencies, leading to police responses at the homes of victims whose cameras were then used for livestreaming.
In one incident on November 8, 2020, a hoax call was made to West Covina Police Department from a victim's residence claiming there were firearms being discharged inside. The police responded with force due to the nature of the call. During this event, Nelson accessed the victim's Ring camera and taunted officers.
Similarly, on November 11, 2020, Nelson gained unauthorized access to another victim's Ring account in Oxnard after making hoax calls about gunfire at the residence. This also led police officers to respond with urgency while Nelson used the camera system for intimidation purposes.
United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt has set a sentencing hearing for May 1 where Nelson could face up to five years in federal prison per count.
James Thomas Andrew McCarty, another conspirator aged 22 from Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced previously in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison related both to this case and other charges in Arizona. McCarty admitted involvement similar to Nelson’s actions including an incident involving a Florida victim’s Ring camera where he falsely reported serious crimes leading police into action while broadcasting their response online.
The FBI conducted the investigation into these incidents with Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki handling prosecution duties for this case.