Swatting call targeting Sanford mosque lands California teen behind bars in Seminole County
A California teenager is set to go before a judge in Central Florida on Wednesday in connection to a swatting incident at a Seminole County mosque.
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Seminole County deputies said 17-year-old Alan Filion called them last May.
They said he claimed he was going to shoot up a mosque on Myrtle Street in Sanford, and played audio of gunfire during that call.
When officers responded to Masjid Al Hayy Mosque, they found no shooter and the mosque staff safe.
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They determined the call was fake.
Seminole County Sheriff’s investigators, along with the help of the Department of Justice and the FBI, said they determined that Filion created several accounts on websites offering swatting services.
They said various IP addresses connected to these accounts led them to his home address.
He was arrested in California and extradited to Seminole County on Tuesday.
Filion is being held at the Seminole County Jail without bond and has been charged as an adult.
Investigators believe he may be connected to other swatting incidents across the country.
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His initial court appearance is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday.
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