Feds Charge Purgatory Hacker in University Swatting Plot

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced charges on April 30, 2026, against an unnamed member of the online cybercriminal group known as Purgatory for orchestrating swatting calls to multiple universities, per the U.S. Department of Justice press release.

The indictment affects at least several universities that received the hoax calls, disrupting operations and deploying law enforcement resources unnecessarily. The press release urges victims of similar swatting incidents linked to Purgatory to contact the FBI, indicating a potential broader network of affected institutions and individuals beyond the charged conduct.

Prior to the charges, the Purgatory group operated without this specific federal intervention in the Eastern District, allowing members to conduct swatting activities unchecked in this jurisdiction. The new indictment shifts the status to active prosecution under federal statutes related to cybercrimes and false reporting, with proceedings set to begin in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania following the April 30, 2026, announcement.

The charges trigger an FBI-led effort to gather victim statements, which could expand the case to include additional defendants or related cybercrimes by June 2026 deadlines for evidence submission. Federal agencies must now allocate resources for ongoing investigations into Purgatory's network, potentially leading to coordinated takedowns with international partners per standard DOJ protocols for transnational cyber threats.

Courts will schedule initial hearings within 30 days, compelling the defendant to appear and setting motions for discovery that could reveal operational details of the group.

This marks the first public federal charge against a Purgatory member for swatting in the Eastern District, following prior DOJ actions against similar cyber groups in 2025. The case aligns with the department's ongoing initiative against online threats, as outlined in annual enforcement reports.