A 36-year-old Seminole County man was arrested Thursday after allegedly pointing a gun at FBI agents during the execution of a federal search warrant, an armed standoff that ended only after deputies first used an armored vehicle to breach a bedroom window, then blew open the front door with explosives, and finally deployed gas and a Taser to take him into custody. Frederick Anhalt now faces two counts of forcible interference with federal officers, according to a federal criminal complaint.
According to WESH, FBI agents arrived at Anhalt's apartment on Seaport Circle around 6 a.m. Thursday to execute the warrant. Anhalt refused repeated commands to come outside, and at one point he reportedly pointed what agents initially believed could be a weapon-mounted light at the agents on scene. Investigators later determined the object was a loaded pistol equipped with a flashlight attachment, the outlet reports.
As the standoff dragged on, deputies first used an armored vehicle to breach a bedroom window, then the Seminole County Sheriff's Office SWAT team used explosives to breach the front door and deployed gas into the apartment, per the same report. Anhalt had barricaded himself in a closet, where investigators later recovered a rifle and a pistol; WESH reported that three firearms were recovered in all.
Standoff Ends With a Taser
Anhalt reportedly challenged agents to come in and fight him during the standoff, the station's report states. He ultimately surrendered after SWAT deputies used a Taser to take him into custody, and he later expressed remorse and admitted to the FBI that he had attempted to modify the training system, according to the same account. A judge ordered Anhalt held in custody pending further proceedings.
The cited Eisner Gorin LLP material discusses intimidation and interference without physical contact under 18 U.S.C. § 111. Forcibly assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a federal officer while using a deadly or dangerous weapon is a Class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, per analysis from Eisner Gorin LLP.
A Separate Case Already Underway
The federal search warrant's relationship to Anhalt's ongoing Orange County criminal case involving Orlando Health is not stated in the federal complaint, per WESH's reporting. In that earlier matter, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement charged Anhalt in March with two counts of offenses against computer users after he allegedly attempted to hack an Orlando Health training website in 2024 to speed up his required onboarding. Anhalt was out on bond in that case at the time of Thursday's standoff.
Unauthorized access to computer systems is generally classified as a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison under Florida's Computer Crimes Act, but certain circumstances can elevate it to a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years, according to The Baez Law Firm. Orlando Health, the healthcare network at the center of that earlier case, is Florida's second-largest health system and has nearly 29,000 employees, per background from Wikipedia.
Bond Revoked, Federal Detention Hearing Looms
Following Thursday's incident, the statewide prosecutor filed a motion Friday to revoke Anhalt's bond in the Orlando Health case. Florida Statute § 903.0471 authorizes state courts to immediately revoke a defendant's pretrial release and order detention without bond when probable cause shows the defendant committed a new crime while out on bail, according to the Sammis Law Firm.
On the federal side, Anhalt faces proceedings on the federal charges. He also faces the state's motion to revoke bond in the Orlando Health case, leaving him under legal pressure in both court systems.
