An anonymous reader cites a report from Wired. Prosecutors for a California teen are investigating hundreds of swatting incidents across the U.S. after law enforcement compiled digital traces left on some of the internet's biggest platforms, according to court records released this week. He claims to be the perpetrator of the attack. Alan Winston Filion, 17, of Lancaster, California, was charged in Seminole County, Florida, with four felonies related to swatting, or false threats to induce police to respond aggressively, according to Florida prosecutors. ing. Police arrested Fillion on Jan. 18 and he was extradited to Seminole County this week.
Fillion's arrest, first reported by WIRED on January 26, comes after police say he is responsible for mass attacks and threats against high schools, historically black universities, mosques, and federal employees. This was the culmination of a multi-agency search for the person. Bomb the Pentagon, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ultimately, YouTube channels, Discord chats, and usernames related to The Lord of the Rings helped lead authorities to Fillion's doorstep.
Florida prosecutors charged Filion with four felonies, three related to allegations of making false reports to law enforcement and one for allegedly targeting people based on their race. The charge was that the two-way radio was used illegally to “promote or encourage acts of terrorism.” Religious or other protected class. Prosecutors say Fillion is “responsible for hundreds of swatting and bomb threat incidents across the United States,” but Fillion's charges stem from a May 12, 2023 attack in Sanford, Florida. Associated with a single swatting attack on a Masjid al-Khai mosque. […] At 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Filion limped into a Seminole County courtroom and stood quietly as the judge read the charges against him. He is currently being held without bail.
