An incident of phone number spoofing that led to a 2 ½ hour SWAT incident in Port Neches last year has been traced back to a 19-year-old Wagoner, Oklahoma man.

The man, identified as Parker Ryan Little, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of making a false bomb threat in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin on Thursday.

According to information presented in court, an emergency call was placed stating that a person, who identified himself as M.S., has 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.

Confusion began when the phone number and caller identification number didn’t match, according to an archive story.

A safety zone was put into place and dispatchers tried to contact the caller to no avail. Jefferson County SWAT responded and also made attempts to contact the caller.

The call was placed from a phone number that was later determined to be associated with Google Voice, a telephone service that makes calls via the Internet, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

SWAT members made contact with the occupant of the home after about two-and-a-half hours who had no knowledge or involvement in the alleged incident.

That same night, the Corinth Police Department received a similar call. Offices were dispatched to a home in Shady Shores, Texas in Denton County. The story was similar to the Port Neches call — a man stated 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 Port Neches.

The Denton bomb squad, Denton County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team and the Texas Rangers responded to the Shady Shores home. Eventually two men and a woman exited the home and law enforcement found no evidence of a crime and the trio had no involvement in the incident.

During the investigation police learned that a computer hacker nicknamed “Demon” had been contacting a former resident of the Port Neches home and of the Shady Shores home and making threats.

Investigators, utilizing subpoenas and search warrants, were able to determine that the e-mail address used in the Google Voice account and a Twitter account “@DeMoNTheLord” were owned by Little, according to the press release.

Little allegedly used these accounts to harass well known on-line gamers, some of whom had millions of Twitter follewrs, and attempt t coerce them into following @DeMoNTheLord on Twitter or mention@DeMoNTheLord, presumably to help him gain more followers and stature. Further, if these peole did not comply with his demands he reportedly sought revenge in various ways including swatting or doxxing.

Swatting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office, has become prevalent among gamers, targeting those who livestream or broadcast themselves and their game play live over the Internet.

Swatting involves placing a hoax 911 call in order to draw response from law enforcement. Doxxing is the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting personally identifiable information about a person and posting it in public forums.

Investigators were able to identify at least seven other victim’s of on-line harassment, some of which were swatted in a manner similar to the victims in Port Neches and Shady Shores.

Little faces up to 10 years in prison and 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 set.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Rangers, Port Neches Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Corinth Police Department and Denton County’s Sheriff’s Department.

Port Neches Police Chief Paul Lemoine said these types of cases rarely get solved and credited the perseverance of law enforcement involved.

E-mail: mary.meaux@panews.com

Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews