Romanian Man Gets 4 Years in Prison for Massive Swatting Campaign Targeting U.S. Officials
A Romanian man was sentenced to four years in federal prison for carrying out numerous swatting attacks against members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of law enforcement agencies, federal judges, and other high-profile figures.
Prosecutors say 27-year-old Thomasz Szabo was the leader of a group that swatted more than 75 public officials in a multi-year swatting spree. Swatting involves making fake threats to provide emergency police responses at victims’ homes.
“Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists — Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine F. Pirro.
Founder of Online Swatting Ring
Prosecutors say Szabo founded an online community that engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and swatting starting in late 2020. That included making false reports to law enforcement about a threat to commit a mass shooting at New York City synagogues, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill President-elect Biden.
In December 2023 and January 2024, members of Szabo’s group swatted at least 25 members of Congress or their family members, at least six current or former executive branch officials, at least 13 then--current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, including the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, multiple members of the federal judiciary, state government officials, members of the media, and other religious institutions.
During that time, one of those subordinates bragged to Szabo: “I did 25+ swattings today,” and “creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
“Mr. Szabo deliberately wasted public resources and recklessly put the lives of innocent people at risk for his own amusement,” said Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office Tara McLeese. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms that swatting is not a prank, and those that perpetrate this crime will be held accountable.”
Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
This case was investigated by 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.
Szabo was charged with Nemanja Radovanovic of Serbia whose case is pending.
Another Szabo associate– Alan Filion– was sentenced to four years prison after pleading guilty.
