A 26-year-old man from Romania pleaded guilty to being the leader of a years-long dark-web conspiracy targeting U.S. victims with “swattings” and bomb threats, federal officials announced Monday.
“Swatting” is a term used to describe false reports of ongoing threats of violence, including bomb threats, at a person’s home or some other location to provoke a large police response.
Thomasz Szabo, who was also known as Plank, Jonah and Cypher, along with an unknown number of co-conspirators created mayhem between 2020 and 2024 by swatting government buildings, houses of worship and private residences of senior government officials, including a U.S. President-Elect, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Prosecutors said that beginning in Dec. 2020, Szabo made false reports to law enforcement in the U.S. that included the threat of a mass shooting at New York Synagogues, followed by a Jan. 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill then President-Elect Joe Biden.
“Szabo publicized his ‘swatting’ activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar activities,” officials said.
Between Dec. 2023 and 2024, members of the 26-year-old Romanian’s group engaged in a swatting spree that targeted some 26 members of Congress, as well as members of their families, and at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch officials, including cabinet-level officials.
Additionally, 13 current or former heads of federal law enforcement agencies were “swatted,” as well as members of the judiciary branch and some 27 current or former state government officials.
Multiple members of the media were also targeted, along with at least four religious institutions, officials added.
“I did 25+ swattings today,” one of Szabo’s subordinates bragged to him, court documents show. “[I created] massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000+ in taxpayers wasted in just two days.”
Extradited to the U.S. from Romania in Nov. 2024, the 26-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives, officials said.
Szabo, who is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 23, faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
“Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence.”
The U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Capitol Police continue to investigate the case.
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