A California man just admitted in federal court that he helped put a federal immigration attorney and her family in the crosshairs of a potential “swatting” attack, underscoring how dangerous anti-enforcement extremism has become.
Story Snapshot
- A Santa Monica man pleaded guilty to doxxing a federal immigration lawyer and urging others online to “swat” her home.
- Prosecutors say he ran a long campaign of harassment against the attorney and her family, posting her home address and instructions for “swatting.”[1][2][4]
- Federal law bars publishing personal information of covered officials such as home addresses, and this crime carries up to five years in prison.[1][3][4]
- The case highlights growing threats against front-line immigration personnel who enforce the law amid heated political rhetoric.[1][2][4]
Federal Immigration Attorney Targeted For “Swatting” After Home Address Posted Online
Federal prosecutors say Santa Monica resident Gregory John Curcio pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to violating a statute that protects individuals performing official duties, after admitting he doxxed a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer and encouraged others to “swat” her.[1][5] Court filings describe how, in February 2025, he posted the attorney’s name, identified her as an immigration agent, and published her home address on Facebook while directing others to target that location.[1][2][4]
According to the United States Department of Justice, Curcio also used another social media account he controlled to post the lawyer’s home address with additional instructions on how to “swat” her, expanding the risk to the attorney, her household, and responding officers.[1][2][4] Swatting involves making a false emergency call to trigger an armed law enforcement response at a victim’s home, a tactic that has already led to deaths and serious injuries in other cases nationwide.[2] Prosecutors characterize this as harassment, not political speech.[1][2][4]
Years-Long Harassment Campaign Against Lawyer’s Family Alleged By Prosecutors
The criminal complaint states Curcio’s conduct did not begin with the February 2025 posts; instead, it alleges a broader harassment campaign against the attorney and her family dating back to at least January 2024.[1][2][4] Authorities say the immigration lawyer reported that Curcio was a former resident at her mother’s apartment building in Santa Monica and that he had allegedly harassed and threatened her mother for years, long before he moved the conflict onto social media.[1][4]
Prosecutors say the online escalation included false allegations about the attorney and her relatives, combined with the public release of private information and calls for others to act on it.[1][2][4] Reports note that Curcio at one point labeled the lawyer “the wicked Ice Queen of Homeland Security” while continuing to spread her personal details.[3] Federal officials argue that turning a private dispute into a public targeting campaign against a named immigration official crosses a bright line from opinion into conduct that endangers public safety and undermines the rule of law.[1][2][4]
Anti‑Doxxing Law And Why This Case Matters For Federal Law Enforcement
Federal authorities charged Curcio under a law specifically designed to protect individuals performing certain official duties, including federal employees such as immigration attorneys, from having their personal information exposed.[3][4][5] That statute prohibits making restricted personal data public—such as a home address, phone numbers, or personal email—when the exposure is tied to intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite harassment against the covered person.[1][3][4] The Justice Department explains that doxxing of federal agents and employees is not treated as harmless protest, but as a federal crime when it endangers them.[4]
News outlets report that Curcio now faces a statutory maximum of up to five years in federal prison at sentencing, reflecting Congress’s decision to treat targeted exposure of officials’ home addresses as a serious offense.[1][3][4][5] Prosecutors emphasize that immigration officials and other front-line personnel must be able to do their jobs without fear that activists or disgruntled neighbors will weaponize social media against their families.[1][2][4] For Americans who believe in secure borders and equal enforcement of the law, this case illustrates the real-world danger when heated rhetoric about immigration turns into coordinated online attacks on the people charged with carrying out federal policy.
Sources:
[1] Web – Santa Monica Man Pleads Guilty to Doxxing ICE Attorney, Urging Others …
[2] Web – Man doxxed ICE lawyer, called on others to ‘swat’ her: feds
[3] Web – Santa Monica Man Denies Doxxing ICE Lawyer He Dubbed ‘Wicked …
[4] Web – Santa Monica Man Arrested on Federal Criminal Complaint Alleging …
[5] Web – Santa Monica Man Arrested by Feds for Doxxing ICE Lawyer – LAmag
