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Tennessee man sentenced for deadly 'swatting' scheme over username

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https://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/320601935/m/2390096384

July 26, 2021, 12:28 PM
wcb6092
Tennessee man sentenced for deadly 'swatting' scheme over username
https://wcyb.com/news/nation-w...scheme-over-username

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was sentenced to five years in prison this week for his role in an international “swatting” scheme that led to a person's death, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Authorities said Shane Sonderman, of Lauderdale County, worked with others, including a minor in Great Britain, to try to force people to hand over control of desirable social media usernames through harassment, including swatting. Swatting is an illegal practice of falsely reporting life-threatening emergencies at a person's home, causing heavily armed police, and sometimes SWAT teams, to rush to the scene.

In this case, Sonderman, 20, provided contact information to a co-conspirator about Mark Herring, of Sumner County, who controlled the Twitter handle @Tennessee, according to court documents.

On April 27, 2020, that co-conspirator called Sumner County police to say "that he had shot a female in the back of a head and she was dead, and that he would use pipe bombs placed at the front and back doors if police responded," according to a statement signed by federal prosecutors. The address the caller gave was Herring’s home.

“Emergency responders were dispatched, and when they arrived at Herring’s home, guns drawn, they called for Herring to walk toward them, keeping his hands visible. As he did so, Herring, 60, appeared to lose his balance and fell to the ground, unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital; cause of death was determined to be a heart attack,” court records state.

Sonderman entered a guilty plea to conspiracy in March.

Herring’s relatives told WKRN-TV in Nashville in a recent interview that Herring was a tech-savvy grandfather who joined Twitter in the early days when many handles were still readily available. They said an anonymous caller contacted Herring on the day he died, demanding he hand over control of the @Tennessee handle, but he refused.

“He just wanted to be @Tennessee because he loved the Vols,” daughter Corinna Fitch told the station, referring to the University of Tennessee football team.

Sonderman and his co-conspirators are accused of using similar harassment tactics with other people, including a victim in Oregon called K.G. in court papers. They are accused of harassing K.G.'s parents in Ohio by sending unwanted deliveries of food and by falsely reporting a fire at their house on April 14, 2020.

They then sent K.G. a message reading, “did your parent’s enjoy the firetrucks?” followed by “i plan on killing your parents next if you do not hand the username on instrgam over to me,” according to the indictment. Federal documents list other victims in New York, Virginia and Michigan.

U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris declined a defense attorney's plea for leniency on Wednesday, sentencing Sonderman to five years in prison with limited Internet access and requiring him to receive mental health treatment.


_________________________
July 26, 2021, 12:31 PM
parabellum
Little asshole. Five years is inadequate. Twenty is more like it, plus the ass-whipping of a lifetime.
quote:
...with limited Internet access...
Say what? How about absolutely no internet access? How about if you even look at a computer, we add a year onto your sentence?

Where's the civil suit?
July 26, 2021, 12:34 PM
ulsterman
quote:
U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris declined a defense attorney's plea for leniency


5 years isn't lenient? He should have been tried for murder.
July 26, 2021, 01:42 PM
YooperSigs
I dont believe that its possible to illustrate the rampant stupidity of our society better than reading about this incident. Cause a mans death over a Twitter handle? The charge should have been conspiracy to commit murder.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
July 26, 2021, 05:25 PM
nukeandpave
He should get the dirt nap.
July 26, 2021, 05:49 PM
slosig
quote:
Originally posted by nukeandpave:
He should get the dirt nap.

Yup. To bad the legal system doesn’t allow for a sentence more appropriate to the crime.
July 26, 2021, 06:00 PM
sigalert
quote:
Originally posted by nukeandpave:
He should get the dirt nap.


I'm not sure the intent to murder is there. But a man is dead directly as a result of this idiot's actions. I think a full 20 years is a good place to start.





“Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant.” – James Madison

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." - Robert Louis Stevenson
July 26, 2021, 07:31 PM
P220 Smudge
quote:
Originally posted by sigalert:
I'm not sure the intent to murder is there.


Oh?

quote:
They then sent K.G. a message reading, “did your parent’s enjoy the firetrucks?” followed by “i plan on killing your parents next if you do not hand the username on instrgam over to me,” according to the indictment.



______________________________________________
"If the truth shall kill them, let them die.”

Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon.
July 26, 2021, 08:03 PM
Il Cattivo
I'm good with the idea of "intentional recklessness" and "depraved indifference" justifying longer prison terms.
July 26, 2021, 08:27 PM
46and2
Wow that's crazy.
July 26, 2021, 08:35 PM
old rugged cross
My guess is the cops slapped cuffs on him and called it good assuming he did what they were told. Otherwise he could of been revived possibly. Another reason why the guy should of got a 20 year sentence without parole.



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
July 26, 2021, 08:39 PM
parabellum
Here's another little bitch who didn't get enough prison time:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...h-kansas-man-n978291
July 26, 2021, 10:45 PM
Sailor1911
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
Here's another little bitch who didn't get enough prison time:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...h-kansas-man-n978291


Yeah, and our LEO's have to deal with the aftermath. SOB should have got a rope.




Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.

“If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016
July 27, 2021, 06:39 AM
Blume9mm
The guy in the article is just one of the accessories ... there is no mention of what became of the person that actually called 911 with the false information....


My Native American Name:
"Runs with Scissors"
July 27, 2021, 07:12 AM
Elk Hunter
quote:
Originally posted by wcb6092:
https://wcyb.com/news/nation-w...scheme-over-username

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was sentenced to five years in prison this week for his role in an international “swatting” scheme that led to a person's death, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Authorities said Shane Sonderman, of Lauderdale County, worked with others, including a minor in Great Britain, to try to force people to hand over control of desirable social media usernames through harassment, including swatting. Swatting is an illegal practice of falsely reporting life-threatening emergencies at a person's home, causing heavily armed police, and sometimes SWAT teams, to rush to the scene.

In this case, Sonderman, 20, provided contact information to a co-conspirator about Mark Herring, of Sumner County, who controlled the Twitter handle @Tennessee, according to court documents.

On April 27, 2020, that co-conspirator called Sumner County police to say "that he had shot a female in the back of a head and she was dead, and that he would use pipe bombs placed at the front and back doors if police responded," according to a statement signed by federal prosecutors. The address the caller gave was Herring’s home.

“Emergency responders were dispatched, and when they arrived at Herring’s home, guns drawn, they called for Herring to walk toward them, keeping his hands visible. As he did so, Herring, 60, appeared to lose his balance and fell to the ground, unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital; cause of death was determined to be a heart attack,” court records state.

Sonderman entered a guilty plea to conspiracy in March.

Herring’s relatives told WKRN-TV in Nashville in a recent interview that Herring was a tech-savvy grandfather who joined Twitter in the early days when many handles were still readily available. They said an anonymous caller contacted Herring on the day he died, demanding he hand over control of the @Tennessee handle, but he refused.

“He just wanted to be @Tennessee because he loved the Vols,” daughter Corinna Fitch told the station, referring to the University of Tennessee football team.

Sonderman and his co-conspirators are accused of using similar harassment tactics with other people, including a victim in Oregon called K.G. in court papers. They are accused of harassing K.G.'s parents in Ohio by sending unwanted deliveries of food and by falsely reporting a fire at their house on April 14, 2020.

They then sent K.G. a message reading, “did your parent’s enjoy the firetrucks?” followed by “i plan on killing your parents next if you do not hand the username on instrgam over to me,” according to the indictment. Federal documents list other victims in New York, Virginia and Michigan.

U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris declined a defense attorney's plea for leniency on Wednesday, sentencing Sonderman to five years in prison with limited Internet access and requiring him to receive mental health treatment.


Limited internet access? I wish I could say I am surprised by this but sadly cannot. This CRIMINAL used the internet in pursuit of his victims and their money. And the "judge" comes up with "limited access" from prison?


Elk

There has never been an occasion where a people gave up their weapons in the interest of peace that didn't end in their massacre. (Louis L'Amour)

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical. "
-Thomas Jefferson

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Tocqueville

FBHO!!!



The Idaho Elk Hunter
July 27, 2021, 03:57 PM
.38supersig
They should burn him with fire dry ice!



July 27, 2021, 06:28 PM
Graniteguy
I was thinking fire ants myself.......
July 28, 2021, 08:34 AM
Sig2340
quote:
Originally posted by Sailor1911:
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
Here's another little bitch who didn't get enough prison time:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/u...h-kansas-man-n978291


Yeah, and our LEO's have to deal with the aftermath. SOB should have got a rope.


I would add the cop who fired to the list of people deserving punishment.





Nice is overrated

"It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government."
Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018
July 28, 2021, 10:02 AM
jhe888
quote:
Originally posted by parabellum:
Little asshole. Five years is inadequate. Twenty is more like it, plus the ass-whipping of a lifetime.
quote:
...with limited Internet access...
Say what? How about absolutely no internet access? How about if you even look at a computer, we add a year onto your sentence?

Where's the civil suit?


If he has no money or property, a civil suit won't get you anything.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
July 28, 2021, 10:03 AM
parabellum
Thanks, Perry Mason. Do you know if he has money or property?