Authorities say David Dorbish Jr. (pictured) made hoax calls to emergency crews starting in 2016
A 17-year-old boy who admitted to making hoax phone calls to authorities in six states should receive probation, a one year prison sentence and pay restitution, an Ohio prosecutor said on Wednesday.
David Dorbish Jr. pleaded guilty to 15 counts related to swatting, or making prank calls to authorities to dispatch several armed officers to an address, in a Youngstown, courtroom on Wednesday.
The practice is called 'swatting' because it oftentimes results in SWAT teams arriving.
He confessed to a series of charges, including, terroristic threats, making false alarms, identity fraud and telecommunications harassment, according to the Warren Tribune Chronicle. He is being tried as an adult.
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ShareDorbish originally faced 149 counts, a culmination of charges from all six states, but it was later agreed that Ohio would pursue the case against the teenager.
The case was transferred from Juvenile court in November when a grand jury indicted him on 27 counts.
Prosecutors have recommended that Dobish, who could get 20 years in prison, instead receive one year of incarceration, five years of probation and a $12,972 restitution to the victimized communities.
Dorbish Jr. (center) pleaded guilty to 15 counts related to his 'swatting' crimes on Wednesday, including terroristic threats, making false alarms, identity fraud and telecommunications harassment
They said Dorbish should get credit for the nearly 10 months he's already spent behind bars at the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center since February 2019.
Dorbish's sentencing is scheduled for the morning of January 31 with Judge John Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
From 2016 to 2018, Dorbish made prank calls to authorities in Wisconsin, Florida, New York, New Jersey, California and Indiana.
Dorbish reportedly began making the hoax calls on his computer inside his Youngstown home, telling authorities that a major event, such as a hostage situation, was occurring.
Authorities say Dorbish (pictured) told authorities he shot someone and was holding victims hostage in a call to Wisconsin police
In the hoax call he made to Dodge City, Wisconsin, in May 2018, Dorbish told authorities he had shot just shot someone and was holding a person hostage inside a home.
A SWAT team responded, resulting in a major highway shutdown that lasted for two hours.
A similar call was made to Putnam County, New York, in August 2018, according to authorities.
Dorbish's mother and grandmother said it's important to remember that the boy was only 15 and 16 when he made the calls.
His grandmother said Dorbish was 'really never been in trouble before.'
'He just got involved with the wrong people on the internet. If anything, he was like a computer geek,' his mother said.
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