A Maricopa man is facing felony terroristic threat charges after court documents say he told coworkers he would “light the place up” at Intel's Fab 42 manufacturing facility in Chandler, then waited outside the building intending to carry out an attack. Frank Licastro was arrested and taken into custody at his Maricopa home following a SWAT search warrant, with Intel's Chandler campus placed on lockdown as authorities investigated the threats.
Chandler police first responded to Intel's Fab 42 facility at 4500 S. Dobson Road on July 10, 2026, after receiving reports that an employee was armed and planning an attack on workers, according to the Chandler Independent. That same day, a SWAT team served a search warrant at Licastro's Maricopa residence, taking him into custody and seizing evidence before transferring him to Chandler police, the outlet reported. Licastro's formal arrest, however, is recorded as having occurred on August 7, 2026, according to court records reviewed by the Chandler Independent — meaning weeks passed between the initial police response at the facility and his formal booking.
According to court documents cited by 12News, Licastro used a company-issued cell phone and other online methods to threaten multiple coworkers, management, and Intel employees. He allegedly told one coworker he was a “dead man” and stated he would stalk and attack him in the parking lot, while also detailing plans to decapitate executives and target managers, per the Chandler Independent's review of the same court filings. A social media account connected to Licastro also posted multiple racial slurs and violent threats directed at Intel employees, according to court documents cited by 12News.
Suspect Says He Was Waiting to Attack
Per 12News, Licastro told investigators he was waiting outside the building to commit the attack and that he wanted to draw a lot of attention to the matter. During police questioning, he characterized his threatening messages as a “show of force” driven by anger over workplace grievances, aimed at forcing an apology from Intel management, and claimed he did not intend physical harm, the Chandler Independent reported. Licastro reportedly possessed $40,000 worth of firearms at the time of the investigation, according to 12News.
Reporting on court records indicates Licastro's prior criminal history includes past charges for assault and domestic violence, according to The Daily News Now. The outlet did not provide a URL for its reporting. That history, combined with the specificity of the threats against named coworkers and executives, is part of why investigators treated the case with such urgency, moving from armed-employee reports to a tactical SWAT response within the same day.
Charges and Legal Exposure
Licastro faces charges including making a terroristic threat, threatening or intimidating, and using an electronic communication to terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass, per 12News reporting on the criminal complaint. That last charge falls under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2916, which makes such conduct a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500, according to the Tamou Law Group. The terroristic threat charge is a felony, a more serious classification than the misdemeanor communication charge.
The criminal prosecution against Licastro was formally entered in Maricopa County Superior Court under case number CR2026-130645 following his August arrest, according to AZ Court Watch. The docket will show future arraignment dates, bail proceedings, and any formal indictment tied to the case.
Intel's Response and Local Stakes
Intel locked down its Chandler manufacturing facility in response to the threats, according to 12News, and the company's spokesperson emphasized that workforce safety is Intel's highest priority. Intel's security team worked closely with local authorities throughout the matter, following established safety protocols, the Chandler Independent reported.
Intel is Chandler's largest employer, and its Ocotillo campus — where Fab 42 manufactures advanced semiconductor chips — anchors a significant share of the Phoenix East Valley's economy, as Hoodline has previously reported. The Chandler site has also drawn national attention as part of up to $8.5 billion in proposed federal CHIPS Act funding intended to expand domestic chip production in Arizona, underscoring the facility's importance well beyond the local workforce it employs.
