Romanian Man Pleads Guilty After 'Swatting' Marjorie Taylor Greene

Newsweek

03-06-2025

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A Romanian man has pleaded guilty in federal court to orchestrating a nationwide swatting campaign that included targeting Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Why It Matters
"Swatting" is a dangerous criminal hoax that involves falsely reporting violent emergencies to prompt heavily armed police raids. The practice can lead to serious injuries—or even deaths—when law enforcement responds under the impression that lives are at risk.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a meeting of House Republicans in the Capitol Visitor Center on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a meeting of House Republicans in the Capitol Visitor Center on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP
What To Know
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 26-year-old Thomasz Szabo admitted to leading a sprawling, coordinated effort to trigger armed police responses to homes, government offices, and religious institutions where no emergency existed.
Szabo was first arrested in August 2024 alongside Nemanja Radovanovic from Serbia. The pair were accused of organizing swatting calls and plotting bomb threats dating as far back as December 2020.
Two threats federal prosecutors highlighted were a December 2020 threat to commit mass shootings at New York City synagogues and a January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol.
Szabo's campaign, carried out between December 2023 and January 2024 with the help of co-conspirators, affected at least 40 private citizens and 61 public officials across the country, including at least 25 members of Congress and their family members, multiple current or former senior members of the executive branch, members of the federal judiciary, religious leaders, and an unnamed former U.S. president.
Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Georgia State Senator Clint Dixon were among those targeted. According to the indictment, Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because "we are not on any side."
One of Szabo's highest-profile targets was Greene, a staunch supporter of President Trump.
Greene, who has previously been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories—including one about "Jewish space lasers" causing wildfires—had already been a target of swatting attempts prior to Szabo's involvement.
In August 2022, Greene reported being swatted at her Georgia home and described the incident as "traumatizing." At the time, she condemned the attack and vowed accountability: "I don't care what political party you are — this is evil. This is not OK. And I will find out who swatted my house. And I will do everything in my power to bring them to justice."
In 2023, Greene said she was swatted on Christmas Day at home with her family.
"I was just swatted," Greene wrote on X at the time. "This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here."
"My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn't have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ!" Greene wrote.
What People Are Saying
Lauren Greene, Representative Greene's daughter, said on X: "This man has swatted my mom, @mtgreenee many times. He has swatted my family, my house included."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "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. This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source."
Special Agent in Charge McCool: "This plea agreement is a testament to the extraordinary investigative work, tenacity, and global reach of the U.S. Secret Service and our partners.
"This perpetrator hid behind a computer screen on the other side of the world believing he could commit these crimes with impunity. It was a gross miscalculation to underestimate our determination in pursuing and bringing to justice those who would commit these crimes, wherever they may be."
Assistant Director in Charge Jensen of the Washington Field Office said: "Swatting is not just a prank, it is a serious violation of the law. Today's guilty plea makes clear those engaged these actions will face justice."
What Happens Next
Charges against Radovanovic remain pending, and online court records show he has not yet appeared in court in Washington, D.C.
Szabo is set to be sentenced on October 23 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the nation's capital.