Romanian Citizen Sentenced in D.C. for ‘Swatting’ Members of Congress, Churches, and Former U.S. President

WASHINGTON - Thomasz Szabo, 27, of Romania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for his role as leader of an online swatting ring that targeted more than 75 public officials, four religious institutions, and multiple journalists in a nationwide threat spree, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Szabo, aka "Plank," "Jonah," and "Cypher," pleaded guilty June 2, 2025, to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives. In addition to the 48-month prison term, District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Szabo to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 57-month prison sentence.

"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 Pirro. "This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country. Szabo was extradited from Romania to face justice in an American courtroom, and today he has reaped the consequences of his actions."

"Swatting is not just a nuisance - it's extremely dangerous," said U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan. "I am proud of our investigators, as well as thankful for our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their steadfast efforts to ensure justice is served. This shows that we will cross the globe to track threats down."

"Mr. Szabo's and his co-conspirators' incessant swatting attacks created a tremendous drain on law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars and put innocent civilians in harm's way," said Michael Burgwald, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division. "Today's sentencing is an important step toward ensuring that those who believe swatting is just a prank will be disabused of that notion and making it clear that those who engage in it will face justice."

"For years, Thomasz Szabo sought to stoke fear and incite panic in victims from afar," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "Now, he will spend the next 48 months in a federal prison. The sentence handed down by the Court today serves to demonstrate that the FBI and our partners will track down offenders wherever they may be and hold them responsible for their crimes. We will take all available steps to identify and bring to justice those who put lives at risk by making false threats of violence."

According to court documents, Szabo was the founder and leader of an online community that, starting in late 2020, engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and "swatting," that is, falsely reporting an ongoing threat of violence at a victims' home address for the purpose of provoking a police response there.

As 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, and a threat in January 2021 to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill the President-elect. Szabo publicized his "swatting" activity to his followers and encouraged them to engage in similar behavior.

Beginning on Dec. 24, 2023, and continuing through early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo's group perpetrated a spree of swatting and bomb threats that included, as its victims, at least 25 Members of Congress or family members of Members of Congress; at least six then-current or former senior U.S. Executive Branch 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; multiple members of the federal judiciary; at least 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members of such officials; at least four religious institutions; and multiple members of the media.

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."

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.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Szabo's arrest and extradition and assisted with securing evidence from abroad, including through mutual legal assistance requests. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service's Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, and Springfield Resident Office; the FBI's Legat Office in Bucharest; the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section. and the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The Romanian authorities' assistance was critical to the successful investigation of the case and extradition of Szabo.

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