A former online journalist fired for allegedly lying about his sources has been charged with making at least eight threats against Jewish Community Centers around the country, the FBI said Friday.

Juan Thompson of St. Louis, Missouri, faces charges of cyber stalking of a former girlfriend. As part of that harassment, the FBI said, Thompson made a series of threats to Jewish Community Centers nationwide, as well as to New York's Anti-Defamation League, claiming his former girlfriend was behind the incidents.

As many as 200 threats against Jewish Community Centers - including at least three against an Alabama site- have been reported in recent weeks. According to the FBI complaint, Thompson is allegedly linked to eight of the community center threats and the call to the New York-based ADL. The complaint does not tie him to others, including the ones in Alabama, and FBI sources told NBC News it's thought he carried out "copycat crimes" to target his former girlfriend.

"The defendant allegedly caused havoc, expending hundreds of hours of police and law enforcement resources to respond and investigate these threats," New York Police Commissioner Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "We will continue to pursue those who peddle fear, making false claims about serious crimes."

Thompson is also suspected of sending emails to his former girlfriend's office claiming she had been pulled over from drunken driving, was in possession of child pornography and had a sexually transmitted disease.

His Twitter account references the threats to the community centers.

Thompson, 31, worked as a reporter for the online publication "The Intercept" from 2014 to early 2016 before he was fired for fabricating quotes in his stories and creating fake email accounts to impersonate people.

Intercept Editor Betsy Reed issued a statement Friday.

"We were horrified to learn this morning that Juan Thompson, a former employee of the Intercept, has been arrested in connection with bomb threats against the ADL and multiple Jewish Community Centers in addition to cyberstalking. These actions are heinous and should be fully investigated and prosecuted," she said.

Thompson currently faces one count of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum of five years' prison. He is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Missouri later today.