According to the Justice Department, a Romanian citizen pleaded guilty to ‘swatting’ over two dozen U.S. Congress members and a former president.

Swatting is when an individual makes a false report about an alarming situation to prompt an urgent response from law enforcement, often endangering the target’s life.

Romanian Citizen Pleads Guilty to ‘Swatting’ Numerous Members of Congress, Churches, and a Former U.S. President

🔗https://t.co/5ALVF2j1sZ@USAttyPirro @SecretService @FBIWFO @FBIMinneapolis @CapitolPolice pic.twitter.com/6q5KSpc7Z2

— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) June 2, 2025

From the Justice Department:

Thomasz Szabo, also known as Plank, Jonah, and Cypher, 26, of Romania, pleaded guilty today to being the leader of a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims across the United States with “swatting” and bomb threats. Szabo and his co-conspirators falsely reported ongoing violent emergencies at government buildings, houses of worship, and private residences, including the homes of senior government officials.

“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 Pamela 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.

“Today, Szabo pleaded guilty to a years-long conspiracy that targeted victims with swatting and bomb threats, including to government buildings, houses of worship and homes of government officials,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

“Swatting endangers lives and will not be tolerated by the FBI. We are fully committed to working with our partners to bring to justice those criminals hiding behind keyboards and threatening violence,” he added.

Romanian pleads guilty to leading group responsible for 'swatting' lawmakers and former president https://t.co/YzviAgOMj7

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) June 2, 2025

Per Roll Call:

The Justice Department, citing court documents, said Szabo was the leader of an online community that “engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and ‘swatting,’” beginning in late 2020.

An indictment filed last year accused Szabo of calling a crisis intervention hotline in December 2020 and conveying “threats to commit a mass shooting at multiple unspecified synagogues in New York City.”

Then in January 2021, Szabo made a call to a crisis intervention hotline and conveyed “threats to detonate explosives at the United States Capitol and kill the President-elect,” according to the indictment.

In December 2023 and January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group carried out a spree of swatting and bomb threats that victimized at least 25 members of Congress or their family members, according to a Justice Department press release.

The spree victims also included members of the federal judiciary, along with former or then-current senior executive branch officials and then-current or former senior federal law enforcement officials, according to the department.

“During that time period, 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,’” according to the press release.

Around that time, Capitol Police officials said the recent surge in swatting incidents posed “a new challenge” in their mission to protect lawmakers.

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The Justice Department said Szabo’s sentencing is scheduled for October.

He was extradited from Romania in November 2024.