Latest news with #swatting
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.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
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.
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.
