Swatter confesses in court to terrorizing US politicians including Marjorie Taylor Greene from 6,000 miles away
A Romanian man confessed in court this week to terrorizing 'dozens of government officials,' including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, with hoax 911 reports.
Thomasz Szabo, 26, admitted to being the ringleader of an online community, which in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and 'swatting' — falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victim's home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there, court documents said.
As the leader of the group, Szabo made false reports to U.S. law enforcement, including a threat in December 2020 to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues, a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol, and to kill President Trump, authorities say.
He even publicized his 'swatting' activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior, according to the attorney's office.
Szabo, aka 'Plank,' 'Jonah,' and 'Cypher,' went on to unleash 'a spree of swatting and bomb threats' with subordinate members of his group on Christmas Eve in 2023, continuing through early January of 2024.
During the attacks, one of the group members bragged to Szabo: 'I did 25+ swattings today,' and 'creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers' money wasted in just two days.'
He and his group targeted at least six then-current or former senior U.S. executive branch officials, including multiple cabinet-level officials, the attorney's office said.
Greene, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and at least two other Georgia state senators are believed to have been targeted in December 2023 with fake 911 calls to their homes, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
'Anyone who hijacks police resources for senseless crimes like these will have to answer for their actions,' said Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host appointed by President Trump to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
DA officials said the plethora of victims included congress, senior federal law enforcement officials, judges, state government officials, multiple members of the media, and four religious institutions.
'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,' said Attorney General Bondi.
'This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source,' she added.
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024, and his sentencing is scheduled for October 23.
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