Chesco Man Indicted For ‘Swatting’ Incidents: Police

CHESTER COUNTY, PA— A 19-year-old Parkesburg was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for allegedly making false emergency calls to Ohio police, including one in which he claimed that he had pressure bombs at the White House.

Michael E. Carpenter is being extradited to Clermont County, Ohio, where he was indicted by a grand jury on a charge of swatting.

Swatting entails generating a response from law enforcement officers under fake pretenses. In Ohio, swatting carries a penalty of six to 18 months in prison.

In a news release available Thursday, the Clermont sheriff's office said Carpenter made these fictitious reports on calls to Ohio police in November.

• On Nov. 8, Carpenter called Mansfield police at 7:47 p.m. stating that he shot his brother and tied up his mother in Washington Township, Ohio. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and determined the call was fictitious.
• On Nov. 8, Carpenter later called Clermont County Communications Center and claimed “he had pressure bombs at the White House and was holding a hostage." He then verified to the dispatcher that he was “swatting.” Police notified the Secret Service.
• On Nov. 13, at 1:15 a.m. Carpenter called the Shelby Communications Center and said he shot his mother in the 2000 block of Big Indian Road, followed by sounds of gunshots and screaming. Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene and confirmed the residents were safe.

The Ohio sheriff's deputies notified Parkesburg police that there was a warrant for Carpenter's arrest.