A 26-year-old Romanian man named Thomas Szabo has recently pleaded guilty to a string of dangerous swatting and bomb threat incidents. These incidents significantly impacted dozens of senior United States government officials, creating widespread alarm and considerable disruption across various levels. Starting in late 2023 and continuing through early January 2024, Szabo and a group he oversaw targeted many prominent individuals. Victims included at least 25 members of Congress or their families, multiple current cabinet-level officials, and also senior federal law enforcement personnel. Swatting typically involves falsely reporting serious crimes to police, which then prompts an armed SWAT team response to the victim’s location.
Szabo not only directly led this group of swatters but also actively encouraged all of them to follow his disruptive example.
He has unfortunately previously engaged in very similar threatening behavior, clearly showcasing a disturbing pattern of such malicious online activities. This included a January 2021 threat where he intended to trigger explosives at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington. His stated aim during that specific incident was to assassinate then President-elect Joe Biden, indicating the past severity of his actions. Szabo, who was extradited from Romania in November 2024, was charged alongside Nemanja Radovanovic, a 21-year-old national from Serbia.
Among the many high-profile victims of this swatting spree was CISA Director Jen Easterly, who was targeted at her Virginia residence.
This occurred in late December 2023 when police were summoned after an anonymous caller falsely claimed a shooting had happened. The federal indictment also details a serious incident involving a former United States president, who was swatted on January 9, 2024. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Szabo led a dangerous swatting criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening many officials with violent hoaxes. This important case reflects a continued focus on protecting the American people and also working closely with many international partners effectively.
Thomas Szabo recently pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to one serious count of conspiracy to commit these offenses. He also pleaded guilty to one count of making significant threats that specifically involved the threatened use of dangerous explosives. These two serious charges jointly carry a potential maximum penalty of fifteen years in federal prison for the now-convicted defendant. He is currently scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington D.C. on October 23rd this year. Meanwhile, the serious charges against his alleged co-conspirator, Nemanja Radovanovic from Serbia, are still currently pending within the U.S. justice system.
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