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Man charged in UConn bomb threat swatting incident pleads guilty

NEW HAVEN–A man accused of initiating several swatting incidents has pleaded guilty in federal court. Matthew Tollis, 22, of Wethersfield, pleaded guilty ...
Matthew Tollis

NEW HAVEN–A man accused of initiating several swatting incidents has pleaded guilty in federal court.

Matthew Tollis, 22, of Wethersfield, pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in the malicious conveying of false information, namely a bomb threat hoax. The offense carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The most notable incident that Tollis participated in was a bomb threat to UConn’s Admissions Department on April 3, 2014. The campus had to be shut down for several hours while the threat was deemed false.

According to court documents, Tollis was part of a group of Microsoft X-Box gamers who call themselves TCOD, or Team Crucifix Or Die. The group used Skype to make hoax bomb, hostage, firearms and mass murder threats across multiple states. Tollis participated in at least six incidents, including the UConn bomb threat, plus threats to schools and other locations in New Jersey, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts.

Tollis was arrested on September 3 by UConn Police, though he is not a student.

He was initially charged with conspiring to engage in a bomb threat hoax; aiding and abetting a bomb threat hoax; and aiding and abetting the malicious conveying of false information regarding an attempt or alleged attempt to kill, injury or intimidate any individual, or to unlawfully damage or destroy and building or other real or personal property by means of an explosive.

The FBI assisted in the investigation.

At the time of the arrest, police said in a statement:

After an extensive and immediate investigation in which UConn Police investigators obtained information from internet telecommunication service providers and social media accounts, police were able to identify a group of people who planned and then called in the threat. One of the individuals who conspired to make the threat was identified as Matthew J. Tollis.

 

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