Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Making Bomb Threat

Published 1:39 pm Thursday, February 18, 2016

BEAUMONT, Texas – An Oklahoma man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Parker Ryan Little, 19, of Wagoner, OK, pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges of making a false bomb threat in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin.

According to information presented in Court, on April 11, 2015, an emergency call was placed stating that a person who identified himself as “M.S.” had just shot his mother, strapped a bomb to his 21 year old daughter’s chest and was armed with an AR-15.  The caller provided an address in Port Neches, Texas.  The call was placed from a telephone number that was later determined to be associated with Google Voice, a telephone service that makes calls via the internet.  Due to the nature of the call, the Jefferson County SWAT team was dispatched to the address.  After approximately two and one half hours, SWAT team members made contact with the occupant of the residence, who had no knowledge or involvement in the alleged incident.

That same night, the Corinth Police Department received a similar call.  Corinth Police Officers were dispatched to a home in Shady Shores, Texas, which is located in Denton County.  Denton County dispatch received a call from a male stating he had shot his mother, strapped a bomb to his sister and was in possession of a knife and a rifle.  The call was placed from the same Google Voice number used to make the emergency call earlier in the day in Port Neches.  The Denton bomb squad, the Denton County Sheriff’s Department SWAT and the Texas Rangers responded to the address in Shady Shores.  Eventually, two male occupants and one female occupant exited the residence.   No evidence of the reported incident was found inside the home.  The occupants were determined to have no involvement in the incident.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that a computer hacker nicknamed “Demon” had been contacting a former resident of the Port Neches address and a resident of the Shady Shores home and making various threats.  Investigators, utilizing subpoenas and search warrants, were able to determine that the email address used to initiate the Google Voice account and a register Twitter account “@DeMoNTheLord” were owned by the defendant, Parker Little.  Little used these accounts to harass well known on-line gamers, some of whom had millions of Twitter followers, and attempt to coerce them into following @DeMoNTheLord on Twitter or mention @DeMoNTheLord, a positive light, presumably to help him gain more followers and increase his own stature.  If they would not comply with his demands, he would seek revenge on them in various ways, including “swatting” or “doxxing.”  “Swatting” has become prevalent among gamers, targeting those who livestream or broadcast themselves and their game play live over the internet.  “Swatting” involves the placing of a hoax call to 9-1-1, usually reporting a serious crime such as a hostage situation or active shooter in order to draw a response from law enforcement.  “Doxxing” or “doxing” is the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting personally identifiable information about an individual, posting it in public forums.  Investigators were able to identify at least 7 other victims of Parker’s on-line harassment, some of whom were “swatted” in a manner similar to the victims in Port Neches and Shady Shores.

Little faces a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years, a fine not to exceed $250,000 or twice the pecuniary loss to the victim or gain to the defendant.  He also faces a term of supervised release of not more than three years following his release from custody.  A sentencing date has not been determined at this time.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Rangers, the Port Neches Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the Corinth Police Department and the Denton County Sheriff’s Department.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.