'Swatting' conspirators charged in US

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightReutersImage caption Tyler Barriss was extradited from his LA home to Kansas to face charges
Three American men have been charged with aiding a hoaxer whose prank led to a fatal shooting.The US Department of Justice (DoJ) claims
the three men "conspired" with another man, Tyler Barriss, to make calls about fake incidents which prompted armed police to respond
Mr Barriss is facing 20 years in jail for one "swatting" call that ended in the death of Andrew Finch.Schools, police departments and others
were targeted with fake calls.The three men charged with conspiracy and "conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive
device" are:Neal Patel, IllinoisTyler Stewart, FloridaLogan Patten, MissouriMr Patel and Mr Stewart have been arrested and charged, said the
DoJ in a statement
It added that Mr Patten had agreed to give himself up to police in Los Angeles.Information about the swatting incidents released by the DoJ
revealed that the three are accused of being in contact with Barriss for a series of hoax calls separate to the one in late 2017 that ended
in Mr Finch's death.The other incidents allegedly involved bomb threats made to schools, calls about fake hostage situations involving armed
attackers and paying Barriss to prompt police to attend fictitious emergencies