A Santa Monica man is set to be arraigned Tuesday for allegedly doxing and harassing a lawyer who works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gregory Curcio, 68, is charged with violating a federal law designed for the protection of individuals performing certain official duties.
Prosecutors contend that in February, Curcio created a Facebook post in which he identified the attorney as an ICE agent, posted her home address, and directed others to “swat” her at the address. He also allegedly posted the lawyer’s private information on a second social media account he controlled, according to the Justice Department.
Swatting is a form of harassment that often involves placing a false emergency call to law enforcement or emergency responders, frequently reporting a false ongoing crisis or crime at a specific location to prompt a significant law enforcement response.
Doxing is publishing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet with malicious intent.
Court documents allege that Curcio is a former resident at the victim’s mother’s apartment building in Santa Monica. The lawyer said she never met Curcio, but he had harassed and threatened her mother for years, according to authorities.
The criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court alleges that Curcio made false allegations and engaged in a campaign to harass the victim and her family starting from at least January 2024.
If convicted, Curcio could face up to five years in federal prison.
“Contrary to what some misguided individuals think, doxing federal agents and employees is not a harmless crime,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “It endangers the agent’s personal safety and that of their family. It’s also a federal crime.”
Federal law prohibits making certain personal information about covered persons — including federal employees — public. The restricted personal information includes a victim’s Social Security number, home address, home phone number, mobile phone number and personal email address.