FBI foiled a 2023 terror plot targeting OU football game, federal court documents reveal

Newly public federal court documents reveal a 2023 foiled terror plot, which involved targeting an OU football game. 

According to a federal sentencing memo filed on Monday in the Western District of Oklahoma, 20-year-old Landon Swinford of Blanchard pled guilty in November to charges of possession of child pornography and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Now, he faces up to 25 years in prison. 

Previously, no details related to the criminal allegations were contained in the publicly available online court documents in the case. 

Inside the 34-page memo, prosecutors say the case began on May 18, 2023, when they say Swinford contacted an undercover law enforcement officer on social media. In those conversations, documents say Swinford discussed ISIS propaganda. 

In June that year, the undercover officer reported Swinford texted a manifesto pledging his loyalty to an Islamic State. 

Other conversations reportedly focused on other acts of terror and discussed targeting various communities. 

Swinford went to a University of Oklahoma football game on September 30, 2023 with his grandparents. The undercover officer reported that Swinford made comments about looking at security measures at the stadium and evaluated it as a target for an attack. 

A couple of weeks later, on October 13, Swinford met with an undercover officer in Norman, and the two scouted Gaylord Memorial Stadium. During that conversation, court documents say Swinford also suggested targeting New Orleans. 

Prosecutors wrote in their memo, “based on the undercover officer’s interaction with Mr. Swinford, the obstacles of traveling overseas, and his lack of money, it appeared there was not an imminent threat of violence from him in the Oklahoma area.” 

In March of 2024, the FBI interviewed Swinford. Agents said, during the interview, Swinford admitted to social media activity encouraging terrorist activity. In that same interview, agents said he admitted to meeting with a person he believed belonged to ISIS and scouting Gaylord Memorial stadium. 

Investigators learned his social media activity and messaging stopped for a period of months because he told his parents he was communicating with ISIS, and his phone was confiscated, but later issued a new phone. 

FBI agents also consulted with the OSBI and said seven cyber tips related to child sexual abuse material at Swinford’s IP address had been reported. 

Oklahoma City FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma both declined further comment on the case, citing the ongoing judicial process. 

Swinford’s public defender declined to comment, citing standard office protocol.