Intellectual Property Law

A Washington state man who used Caller ID spoofing to send armed cops to the homes of a dozen innocent people was sentenced to 30 months in prison Wednesday, and ordered to pay nearly $24,000 in restitution to the police departments he hoaxed.

Guadalupe Santana Martinez, 31, is the first defendant to be sentenced in federal court in Dallas for a string of so-called "swatting" crimes against people who angered them on telephone party lines. Four admitted co-conspirators face sentencing in March and April 

Martinez pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy, and admitted in his plea agreement to two separate 2006 swatting attacks against Stephanie Proulx, a party line participant, and her father.

In both those calls, Martinez phoned non-emergency police lines and told dispatchers that he had shot and killed members of the family, that he was using hallucinogenic drugs, and that if he didn't get $50,000 and transportation across the border to Mexico he'd kill the remaining hostages with his AK-47. He used the Caller ID spoofing service Spoofcard to make calls appear to come from his victims' phones.

The FBI took an interest in the case in October 2006, when a police detective responding to the Proulx call realized he'd already been to the apartment on an earlier false emergency. FBI agents arrested Martinez outside a Denny's in a Seattle suburb in January 2007, and he admitted to the Proulx swats, and to similar hoaxes targeting 10 other people since 2004, most of them in Washington state. One victim, in 2004, was targeted when he started dating Martinez's ex-girlfriend.

Co-defendant Jason Trowbridge is scheduled for sentencing on March 27, followed by Chad Ward on April 3rd, ringleader Stuart Rosoff on April 10th, and Trowbridge's girlfriend Angela Roberson on April 17. All have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors prepping a new round of indictments against other suspects.

In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Court Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Martinez to three years of supervised release. With credit for good behavior,  Martinez will be released in early March 2009.

See Also:

• Teenage Hacker Is Blind, Brash and in the Crosshairs of the FBI
• Poll: How Good Is the Blind Hacker? Mitnick Weighs In
• Swatter Gang Hounded White Hat Phreaker
• Guilty Plea: Phone Phreaks Use Caller-ID Spoofing to Get Foes Raided by SWAT