Restaurant employees charged after swatting themselves by faking robbery with ChatGPT

Two employees at an Ohio restaurant are facing criminal charges after police say they used ChatGPT to fabricate a robbery report that triggered an emergency response.

Officers were dispatched to Rubin’s Deli & Restaurant in Elyria, Ohio, on the morning of December 15 after calls reported an active robbery involving multiple masked suspects inside the business.

According to the Elyria Police Department, officers arrived within minutes but found no crime in progress. Customers were still seated inside the restaurant, and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

Police say fake robbery call was AI

In a release, police said a preliminary investigation determined the report was entirely fabricated as part of a prank by two employees. Authorities said the hoax involved artificial intelligence-generated content, which they described as part of a broader social media trend.

The employees were identified as Todd Durst, 45, and Luis Acevedo Jr., 40. Durst remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with swatting, obstructing official business, and inducing panic, and was booked into the Lorain County Jail pending an initial court appearance.

Acevedo Jr. left the restaurant before officers arrived and remains at large, according to police. Warrants have been issued for his arrest on the same charges. His vehicle was found at the scene, but authorities believe he fled the area while officers were speaking with other employees.

OpenAI

Police stated in a patrol narrative report reviewed by PEOPLE that Durst allegedly created an AI-generated image using ChatGPT and sent it to Acevedo Jr., who then forwarded it to the restaurant’s owner. Believing the image was real, the owner contacted police.

The image reportedly depicted masked individuals wearing blue gloves inside the restaurant using what appeared to be a multi-camera security view. Police said the image was uploaded to their evidence management system as part of the investigation.

In a statement, the Elyria Police Department warned that AI-generated hoaxes involving fake emergencies are criminal acts that divert resources from real incidents and carry serious legal consequences.