Most Wanted Fugitive Nabbed by FBI in Ohio after Months of Chase: Authorities

A most wanted suspect was apprehended in Columbus on Thursday by the FBI. The suspect had various nicknames such as “bit coin”, “Simswapping”, “user data god”, “Tuyal”, and “yahoo.emails.”

An 18-year-old named Brayden Grace has been arrested by agents for his alleged involvement in numerous swatting calls throughout the United States. He is being charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy, interstate stalking, interstate threatening communication, and interstate threat involving fire or explosives.

Although Grace had been implicated in various incidents nationwide, he also faced accusations of a local threat. A federal court document details an incident that occurred on January 5 involving a call made by Grace to the Hollywood Casino in west Columbus. A person, known as “bit coin,” made a threatening phone call to casino staff, demanding $100,000 in cash and a helicopter, while making violent threats towards the building.

In addition to the casino call, Grace and others in Purgatory were implicated in several other swatting calls according to a federal indictment:

• He threatened to burn down a residential trailer park in Alabama.
• A shooting threat involving a teacher and several unnamed students at a high school in Delaware.
• A bomb and shooting threat to the Albany International Airport in New York.
• A multiple homicide event and shooting threat against individuals in a residence in Eastman, Georgia.

Two phone calls were made, one from an individual claiming to be inside the casino. The caller stated that they had a bomb strapped to their chest while inside the casino. A caller informed a 911 operator about another individual who was in possession of a sniper rifle atop the parking garage.

Another call was received from an individual who stated they were located on the parking garage, holding a sniper rifle. The individual informed a 911 operator of the presence of another individual within the casino who threatened to detonate a bomb, causing significant damage. Authorities thoroughly searched the vicinity, with a police helicopter combing the entire area. Several phone numbers were pinged during the investigation, but unfortunately, those attempts did not yield any results.

Grace was involved in a group that utilized Instagram and Telegram to coordinate a series of swatting calls during the months of December and January. According to court documents, they planned to publicly disclose the swatting calls they made on the platforms.

Grace is scheduled to appear in federal court on May 20 at 1 p.m. for a detention hearing. During this hearing, a judge will determine whether Grace will be released, assigned bail, or detained.

If found guilty, Grace could potentially be sentenced to up to 5 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threat, as well as a maximum of 10 years in prison for each charge related to damaging or destroying property using fire and explosives.

As of Thursday, the FBI has not disclosed any information regarding the discovery of additional members of Purgatory or their whereabouts in central Ohio.

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