Romanian man pleads guilty to leading 'swatting' of U.S. officials

UPI

2 days ago

A Romanian man on Monday in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty as the ringleader of a group making bomb threats and triggering "swatting" attacks against U.S. officials and legislators, the Justice Department said. File photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
June 2 (UPI) -- A Romanian man on Monday pleaded guilty as the ringleader of a group making bomb threats and triggering "swatting" attacks against 75 U.S. public officials, including members of Congress, four religious institutions and journalists, the Justice Department said.
Thomasz Szabo, 26, was extradited from Romania to the District of Columbia in November, DOJ said in a news release.
Szabo and his co-conspirators reported false emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials, prosecutors said.
Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, was charged with Szabo in August 2024 on one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.
Szabo, who is also known as Plank, Jonah and Cypher, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives.
He faces up to 15 years in prison for the two counts. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23.
"This defendant led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our nation's security infrastructure from behind a screen overseas," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
In late 2020, Szabo founded an online community that falsely reported threats at the addresses for the purpose of provoking a police response there, DOJ said. He was the moderator of chat groups.
The false reports included a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues, and one in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill President-elect Joe Biden.
Szabo publicized "swatting" activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in behavior like that.
From Dec. 24, 2023, to early January 2024, DOJ said members of Szabo's group committed swatting and bomb threats that included at least 25 members of U.S. Congress or family members, at least six current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, at least 13 current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, multiple members of the federal judiciary and at least 27 current or former state government officials or family members of officials. Also targeted were religious institutions and remembers of the media.
"I did 25+ swattings today," one subordinate bragged to Sazabi, and "creating massive havoc in America. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days."
Investigating the cases were the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI's Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
In December, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger testified before the Senate Rules and Administration Committee about the need for more officers as the number of threats against members of Congress escalates.
Other agencies assisting were in Bucharest, Romania; south Florida, central Florida; Syracuse, N.Y.; western Washington State; South Dakota; southern Illinois; and northern New York.
"Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners."
"Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions," interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro in the District of Columbia said.
Szabo was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years.