(NewsNation) — A California teenager accused of orchestrating numerous swatting incidents across the U.S. has been arrested in connection with a swatting attempt at a Florida mosque.
Alan Winston Filion, 17, was arrested on Jan. 18 by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant from Seminole County, Florida, according to court records.
He was extradited to central Florida on Tuesday to face three charges of false reporting and one charge of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. He is being prosecuted as an adult.
Swatting is the practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. Bomb threats go back decades in the U.S., but swatting has become especially popular in recent years as individuals and groups target celebrities and politicians.
Seminole County authorities received a call in May 2023 from someone saying that he was entering the Masjid Al Hayy Mosque in Sanford to conduct a mass shooting, according to the sheriff’s office. About 30 law enforcement officers responded but found no shooter and determined the call to be a swatting incident.
The sheriff’s office along with the FBI began investigating several accounts on websites offering swatting services. Various IP addresses connected to these accounts led to Filion’s home address in Lancaster, California. The FBI served a search warrant at the home in July, officials said.
Based on evidence collected during the search, investigators obtained a warrant for Filion’s arrest.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Security Division continued investigating the incident alongside the Department of Justice and the FBI.
Investigators believe Filion may also be connected to other swatting incidents across the U.S. According to court records, Filion targeted high schools, colleges, mosques, government offices and military bases in multiple states.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.