A 17-year-old man arrested on suspicion of swatting, in which 30 law enforcement officers responded to a mass shooting threat at a mosque, has been extradited to Florida to face charges.
Alan Fillion, a native of Lancaster, California, is accused of hundreds of swatting incidents and bomb threats across the United States. ABC7 report. Swatting involves making false reports to police in order to have a SWAT team dispatched to a specific location.
The teenager is currently facing four felonies for allegedly reporting a Florida mosque to law enforcement.
Filion allegedly called police about the Masjid al-Havi Mosque in Sanford, Florida, and said he intended to enter the shrine to carry out a shooting spree. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said the call made references to Satanism and claimed guns and explosives were involved. press release.
Police documents say the young man also played gunshots in the background. The incident received a response from the 30 law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene, saying that staff at the mosque were indeed found to be safe.
Filion is accused of creating accounts on various websites offering swatting services and was eventually discovered through various IP addresses connected to the accounts.
The Californian also allegedly targeted a high school, a historically black university, an FBI office, an FBI agent, and made bomb threats against military bases and the Pentagon. CNN report.
Four felonies are being considered in Florida, including false reporting and promoting acts of terrorism while exhibiting bias. Officially, the lengthy indictment read as follows:
“False reporting of the planting of bombs, explosive devices, or use of weapons of mass destruction, or in a violent manner, promoting or abetting acts of terrorism and demonstrating prejudice based on race, color, ancestry, or ethnicity; Falsely reporting the use of a firearm in “religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homelessness, or the victim’s advanced age”
Other felonies include alleged hate crimes, including “unlawful use of a two-way communication device,” “falsifying a report to law enforcement regarding the commission of a felony that promotes or facilitates an act of terrorism,” and “telling police… This includes “false reporting”. A law enforcement agency that provokes a public security agency response (swatting) while promoting or abetting terrorist acts. ”
While the document states that Fillion is on a “no-bail status,” CNN reported that he entered a not guilty plea.
“Swatting is a dangerous and senseless crime that puts innocent lives in danger and drains valuable resources,” said Sheriff Dennis Lemma. “Law enforcement’s substantial response in this swatting case underscores our unwavering dedication to community safety and holding criminals accountable,” the sheriff added.
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