Elyria 'swatting' suspect who made false call about armed man in January pleads guilty

Two months after he called police to falsely report an armed man at a drive-up ATM in Elyria, a Sheffield Lake man has pleaded guilty to three felonies that are likely to send him to prison for a year. Jeremy Oster, 33, of Waterford Circle, pleaded guilty Friday to one count each of tampering with evidence, swatting and inducing panic, in Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Donna Freeman's court. Freeman scheduled sentencing for March 27. The Lorain County Prosecutor's Office will recommend Oster serve a year in prison, according to court documents, but Freeman has the final say. Defense attorney William Willis said his client "wanted to man up" and take responsibility for his actions. He said he will ask Freeman to put Oster on community control, meaning probation and other sanctions, rather than send him to jail or prison. Oster was being held in the Lorain County Jail on $50,000 bond, according to jail records. "Swatting" is a crime where someone calls police and reports an emergency so that heavily armed police will respond to a specific location. Elyria police said Oster did that just after 11:30 a.m. Jan. 9 when he reported a person with a gun at the unstaffed PNC Bank branch ATM on Second Street. Elyria police, State Highway Patrol troopers and Lorain County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene but found no threat. Authorities had been searching for a wanted suspect just before the call, which they traced to Oster. Stopped by Lorain police and later interviewed, Oster admitted making the call to try and help a friend, authorities said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.