A New York man confessed in a D.C. courtroom Monday to targeting celebrities and public officials by posting their private information online. In some cases he had SWAT teams sent to their homes. News4’s Scott MacFarlane broke the story.
What to Know
- Mir Islam admitted sharing private information of celebrities and government officials on a website that got hundreds of thousands of clicks
- For some public officials, Islam "swatted" them, calling 911 and convincing police to send SWAT teams to homes.
- Islam also admitted conspiring to swatting the University of Arizona, where prosecutors said he was fixated on a student.
In a D.C. court Monday, a man admitted conspiring to scare or target celebrities and government officials by revealing their private information online and in some cases making bogus 911 calls to convince police to swarm their homes.
Mir Islam, of New York, was sentenced to two years in prison.
The website where the private information was revealed, including home addresses and credit reports, got hundreds of thousands of clicks. The celebrities included Kim Kardashian, Justin Timberlake and P. Diddy.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Social Security number was exposed.
For some public officials with whom Islam and his conspiracy had disagreements, Islam went further and "swatted" them, prosecutors said. That is the practice of convincing police to send SWAT teams to homes.
The swatting victims include Steve Heyman, a high profile prosecutor in Boston; a U.S. congressman from Michigan; and Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association.
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Islam's conspiracy made a fake call to police, leading police to the NRA head's Virginia home and leading them to "briefly detain" him, LaPierre's lawyer said.
Islam told a judge he suffered from physical and mental health ailments and spent 18 hours behind his computer each day. He said he'd change after serving his sentence.
Islam also admitted conspiring to swatting the University of Arizona, where prosecutors said he was fixated on a student. His call triggered a four-hour lockdown in 2013.
