A 22-year-old Palm Beach County man is facing charges after investigators say he used a fake AI-generated video to report a crime that didn’t actually occur in order to “spread” it on social media, according to a report from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers arrested Lake Worth Beach resident Alexis Martinez Arizara in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, April 8, on charges of filing a false crime report with law enforcement and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office announced that Martinez-Arizara will be extradited to Seminole County, near Orlando, where he will be held with bail set at $7,000. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said the incident remains under investigation.
Here’s the latest on the man accused of using AI-generated video to file false police reports in Seminole County, Florida.
Florida man arrested for allegedly using fake AI video to report crime
Deepfake health ads targeting Google search
See how deepfake health ads are exploiting Dr. Google searches to promote vaccine resistance with fake treatments and misleading information.
According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on March 24 when Martinez-Arizara approached officers at a Lake Mary retail store and claimed he had seen people trying to get into a patrol car parked outside.
According to a police report, Martinez-Arizala showed the deputy a three-second video of two men opening and getting into a patrol car.
The lieutenant searched the police car and found no signs that it had been broken into or that anything had been stolen. Deputies reviewed surveillance footage from inside the store that showed a man, later identified as Martinez-Arrizara, walking toward a car while holding a cell phone.
Detectives determined the video was fake and identified Martinez-Arizara as the man who showed the fake video to the deputy.
Investigators later discovered that the 22-year-old had posted the incident with the sheriff’s deputy on social media “in an apparent attempt to gain attention and create viral content,” according to a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office news release.
How did the sheriff know that AI video was being used in crime reporting?
The sheriff’s office said deputies realized the video was a hoax after watching the video several times and noticing details that made no sense.
A sheriff’s deputy noticed that the Seminole sheriff’s name was not listed on the patrol car. The bodies of the two men disappeared after getting into a car. And the back door seemed to open and close on its own.
Is it a crime to file a false police report in Florida?
yes. Florida law makes it a crime to knowingly provide false information to a law enforcement officer about a crime.
Filing a false crime report is considered a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to one year in prison. If it involves a serious crime or if the person already has a criminal conviction, it can lead to a felony charge.
Police say fake crime reports raise concerns about AI videos
As the use and popularity of artificial intelligence increases, deepfake videos are being used in crime reports and evidence for law enforcement and the legal system.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said the misuse of AI to create deepfake videos is particularly targeting public safety officials and is a growing concern.
“These fabricated videos can damage reputations, create unnecessary tension and pose real safety concerns for first responders serving our communities,” Lema said. “As this technology becomes more accessible, we will take this type of crime seriously and take action to protect those targeted in our communities.”
Valentina Palm covers immigration and the western communities of Palm Beach County for the Palm Beach Post. Please email her at vpalm@pbpost.com Follow @ValenPalmB on the X Platform, formerly known as Twitter. Support local journalism. Subscribe now
