Eric Swarbrick, 26, in custody in Austin TX, named in a Nashville federal criminal complaint charging interstate stalking & sending interstate communications with intent to threaten involving Taylor Swift’s record label. Investigation by FBI & MNPD Specialized Investigations Div pic.twitter.com/1HCRAQaWTS
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) September 20, 2018
A Texas man threatened to rape and kill singer Taylor Swift, say federal prosecutors. Eric Swarbrick, 26, was charged Wednesday with interstate stalking, and sending interstate communications with the intent to threaten.
He began sending letters to Swift’s Nashville-based record label Big Machine Label Group in January, said the complaint. The defendant allegedly asked for CEO Scott Borchetta to introduce him to Swift. He even admitted in one letter to previously wandering around the business offices, prosecutors said.
Swarbrick sent at least 40 letters and emails to the company, and with time, they became more “violent and sexual in nature,” the press release stated. This wasn’t a long-distance thing either. Swarbrick allegedly drove from Texas to Nashville three times to delivery letters to the record label. In one August 2 incident, he was arrested by Nashville cops, but that apparently didn’t slow him down. After release, he sent 13 threatening letters and emails by the end of the month, prosecutors said. He said he wanted to rape and kill Swift, and in one message, said he would commit suicide in front of Borchetta and the BMLG staff.
Authorities claim this was more than just mouthing off.
“Too often, we have seen the consequences of ignoring signs of escalating violent behavior by some individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The attention given to this matter by our law enforcement partners and the resulting federal charges we have brought should serve to prevent a future tragic event.”
Federal records viewed by Law&Crime name no attorney for Swarbrick. He is being held in Travis County, Texas, and is expected to be moved to the Middle District of Tennessee, authorities say.
[Mugshot via Metro Nashville Police Department]
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