Latest news with #bombthreats
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Romanian man pleads guilty to swatting attacks on former U.S. president, lawmakers, churches
A Romanian man has pleaded guilty to leading an extensive plot to use swatting calls and bomb threats to intimidate dozens of people, including a former United States president and multiple members of Congress, authorities announced on Monday. The allegedly years-long scheme involved bogus police emergencies and false reports of violent incidents at government buildings, churches and private residences, including some senior government officials' homes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. Thomasz Szabo, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the U.S. capital, after he was extradited from Romania in November 2024, court records show. "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 Pam Bondi in a statement. "This case reflects our continued focus on protecting the American people and working with international partners to stop these threats at their source." Szabo was charged with Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making bomb threats. The two men targeted roughly 100 people with swatting calls to instigate an aggressive response by police officers at the victims' homes, a federal indictment alleges. A U.S. Secret Service agent's affidavit doesn't name the former U.S. president or any other officials identified as victims of the hoax calls. The two defendants are not explicitly charged in the indictment with threatening a former president, but one of the alleged victims is identified as a "former elected official from the executive branch" who was swatted on Jan. 9. 2024. Radovanovic falsely reported a killing and threatened to set off an explosion at that person's home, the indictment says. Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because "we are not on any side," the indictment says. Charges against Radovanovic are still pending. Online court records indicate that he hasn't made any court appearances in Washington yet.
Reuters
3 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Romanian pleads guilty to 'swatting' US lawmakers and top officials
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - A Romanian man has pleaded guilty to participating in a years-long series of dangerous hoax phone calls and bomb threats targeting American legislators, law enforcement leaders, and government officials, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday. In a statement, opens new tab, the department said that Thomasz Szabo, 26, who was extradited to the United States last year, admitted targeting more than 75 officials, four religious institutions, and multiple journalists in his campaign of intimidation. Officials said Szabo targeted private residences, including the homes and families of senior government officials. Authorities say Szabo routinely phoned in bomb threats and reports of ongoing violence or hostage situations at his targets' homes or places of work, a technique called 'swatting' because it is meant to elicit the emergency deployment of heavily armed police officers. Emails seeking comment from Szabo's lawyers were not immediately returned. Justice officials described Szabo as the leader of a group that made a series of false reports to U.S. law enforcement, including a December 2020 threat to commit a mass-shooting at New York City synagogues and a January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill then-President-elect Joe Biden. The department said that, in a two-month period alone, members of Szabo's gang targeted at least 25 members of Congress or their family members, six then-current or former senior U.S. federal officials, "including multiple cabinet-level officials," at least 13 then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies. Others targeted included members of the federal judiciary, state government officials, and members of the media. It was during that time that one of Szabo's subordinates boasted of "creating massive havoc" in the United States, the department said.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Romanian man pleads guilty to 'swatting' plot that targeted an ex-US president and lawmakers
WASHINGTON — A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to engaging in a plot to use 'swatting' calls and bomb threats to intimidate and threaten dozens of people with bogus police emergencies, including a former U.S. president and several members of Congress. Thomasz Szabo, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C. Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024. He was charged with Nemanja Radovanovic , 21, of Serbia. Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making bomb threats. The two men targeted roughly 100 people with 'swatting' calls to instigate an aggressive response by police officers at the victims' homes, a federal indictment alleges. A U.S. Secret Service agent's affidavit doesn't name the former U.S. president or any other officials identified as victims of the hoax calls. The two defendants are not explicitly charged in the indictment with threatening a former president, but one of the alleged victims is identified as a 'former elected official from the executive branch' who was swatted on Jan. 9. 2024. Radovanovic falsely reported a killing and threatened to set off an explosion at that person's home, the indictment says. Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because 'we are not on any side,' the indictment says. '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. Charges against Radovanovic are still pending. Online court records indicate that he hasn't made any court appearances in Washington yet.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Romanian man pleads guilty to 'swatting' plot that targeted an ex-US president and lawmakers
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to engaging in a plot to use 'swatting' calls and bomb threats to intimidate and threaten dozens of people with bogus police emergencies, including a former U.S. president and several members of Congress. Thomasz Szabo, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23 by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C. Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024. He was charged with Nemanja Radovanovic , 21, of Serbia. Szabo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of making bomb threats. The two men targeted roughly 100 people with 'swatting' calls to instigate an aggressive response by police officers at the victims' homes, a federal indictment alleges. A U.S. Secret Service agent's affidavit doesn't name the former U.S. president or any other officials identified as victims of the hoax calls. The two defendants are not explicitly charged in the indictment with threatening a former president, but one of the alleged victims is identified as a 'former elected official from the executive branch' who was swatted on Jan. 9. 2024. Radovanovic falsely reported a killing and threatened to set off an explosion at that person's home, the indictment says. Szabo told Radovanovic that they should pick targets from both the Republican and Democratic parties because 'we are not on any side,' the indictment says. '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. Charges against Radovanovic are still pending. Online court records indicate that he hasn't made any court appearances in Washington yet.
Washington Post
10-05-2025
- Washington Post
Montgomery County schools to toughen penalties for student misbehavior
Montgomery County Public Schools is toughening its penalties for bomb threats, attacks on staff and other misbehavior by students, district officials said. Bomb threats, for example, could soon lead to suspension or expulsion. Previously, the district's student code of conduct said such threats could trigger the lowest level of response or penalty, such as a detention or other teacher-led intervention.
