Swatting Call to Hollywood Casino Leads to Columbus Man’s Arrest

A young man suspected of a swatting call at Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, is currently facing a number of felony charges, including interstate threatening communication, threats to damage and destroy by means of explosives or firearms, as well as cyberstalking. The man, identified with the initials B.C., had his recent detention hearing on Monday, as announced by 10WBNS.

During the latest hearing, the US Attorney’s office asked the judge not to release the man from custody, warning that there is a high chance for him to run away. Moreover, prosecutors claimed that the young man was dangerous to the community.

The incident at Hollywood Casino in Columbus dates back to January this year. At the time, the suspect allegedly made a threat via phone. The man is suspected of threatening with violence at the Columbus casino and allegedly warned that there is a bomb on site.

At the latest detention hearing, the defense of the suspect asked the judge to send him to a mental health facility where experts could determine his condition. The defense also said that at such a facility, the client would likely be strapped with a GPS monitor that can constantly track his activities.

However, allegations about previous swatting calls, allegedly made by the same suspect, persuaded the judge to keep the man behind bars. On Monday, a federal court judge rejected the request of the suspect’s defense, outlining that the young man can receive treatment while in prison.

The Man Is Suspected of Making a Number of Swatting Calls

The man suspected of swatting calls was detained by police at an apartment off Morse Road. According to the US Attorney’s Office, the suspect attempted to evade law enforcement by hiding.

He was captured with pink dye on his hands and parts of his hair were already dyed. It is suspected that he tried to alter his appearance after he was told that the FBI was after him. The arrest follows local media reports that released a poster of the man. This resulted in a tip that helped police capture the young man.

Besides the swatting call at Hollywood Casino, the man is suspected of similar calls in a few other states, including New York, Georgia and Alabama. Also, he allegedly called with a threat of holding hostages in East Palestine, Ohio. That fraudulent call resulted in law enforcement raiding a private home only to find out that there wasn’t any threat.