Guy who swatted Grand Theft Auto 5 star is going to prison for 4 years: ‘Won’t be swatting anyone anytime soon… and they’re coming for the ones he ratted out’
Ned Luke, the actor who portrayed Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto 5, has been repeatedly targeted by swatters over the past three years, including during a Thanksgiving livestream in 2023. Swatting—a serious form of online harassment where perpetrators make false emergency calls to send armed police to a target’s home—poses significant safety risks and has become an escalating problem within gaming communities.
This week, Luke announced that one of his swatters has been convicted and sentenced to four years in federal prison. Luke shared a Department of Justice letter confirming the resolution on Instagram, celebrating the conviction while warning that additional perpetrators are expected to face prosecution.
Luke indicated that his cooperation with law enforcement identified multiple individuals involved in the harassment campaign. His public statement referenced “the ones he ratted out,” suggesting that investigative efforts have expanded beyond the single four-year conviction to target other participants in the swatting incidents.
The case represents a growing trend of serious legal consequences for swatting. Federal prosecutors increasingly treat swatting as a serious crime rather than a harmless prank, with sentences reflecting the inherent dangers of triggering armed emergency responses through false pretenses. This conviction demonstrates that online harassment targeting entertainment industry figures will result in substantial criminal penalties.