An 18-year-old Oregon man is facing up to a decade in federal prison after allegedly launching a massive wave of hoax bomb threats that threw Ohio high schools into chaos.
Federal prosecutors say Nathan Hayes, of Sweet Home, Oregon, was the voice behind dozens of “swatting” calls that targeted at least 17 high schools across Ohio, including institutions in Lucas and Lake counties. The panic began in March, forcing multiple schools into immediate lockdowns as law enforcement scrambled to search buildings for explosives or signs of terrorism.
According to the criminal complaint and affidavit, investigators quickly traced the calls back to an out-of-state source. The FBI Toledo Resident Agency eventually identified Hayes, alleging that he used a rotation of multiple aliases to mask his identity while threatening the schools and various other organizations.
Beyond the threats, federal agents allege that Hayes actively commodified his actions by offering swatting services for sale online…