‘TikTok Trickster’ arrested in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - University of Kentucky Police arrested a man known as the “TikTok Trickster” Friday.

According to UK police, officers arrested 54-year-old Brenton Fillers, of Alabama, at UK Chandler Hospital on outstanding warrants from multiple states.

“This is unusual that we had someone show up on campus with multiple warrants from multiple states. That’s highly unusual,” said UK Police Chief Joe Monroe.

Police say Fillers is known as the “TikTok Trickster” by law enforcement agencies and media outlets for allegedly defrauding people using social media.

Originally from Alabama, it was John Barber with the Spanish Fort Police in Texas who alerted UK Police that Fillers was here in Lexington.

“He came down from West Virginia with a lady that he was with. They were en route to Texas. He said they had to square away something with the IRS. She had fronted him thousand dollars. He said, ‘Let’s stop in Daphne, and do the rest of the trip the next day.’ He then went to the Mobile Airport, got in touch with our Spanish Fort resident, and said come pick me up,” said Barber.

Barber says they believe he’s been conning people for the past 30 years. A woman in Texas named Tricia was only his latest victim.

“It’s unreal how many women have probably been affected from dealing with this man,” said Tricia.

Tricia says she saw Fillers on TikTok. He was calling himself ‘Jason Mitchell,’ and they began messaging back and forth.

“He got me to pick him up for the Mobile Airport,” said Tricia.

After spending a few days with Tricia, she says he took her car to ‘fix it’ but says he never came back with her car. It was then that Tricia learned he had just left another woman. Police say he stole that woman’s rental car, credit cards and cash.

”I hope he gets caught and that we can minimize other people he can do this to,” said Tricia.

In a multi-state effort, UK Police did just that.

“Today’s arrest demonstrates the importance of collaboration in law enforcement,” said Chief Monroe. “We want to extend our thanks to the Somerset Police Department and the Baldwin County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office, who have assisted UK Police with the investigation.”

Police say Fillers is facing the following charges:

• Aggravated sexual assault of a child in Texas.
• Theft of property in Alabama.
• Felony fraudulent use of a credit card in Arkansas.
• Theft of a motor vehicle in Tennessee.
• He may face additional charges in Kentucky.

Chief Monroe says he can’t disclose why Fillers was being treated at UK, but he says Fillers will be held at the Fayette County Detention Center pending an extradition hearing.

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