US Department of Justice Takes Action Against Romanian “Swatting” Suspects
The US Department of Justice has announced it has reached a judicial agreement with a group of Romanians accused of orchestrating a “swatting” attack targeting lawmakers, including a former president.
One of the accused, Thomasz Szabo, 26, was extradited to the US in November. He faces charges related to a sinister online community’s campaign that aimed at around 100 lawmakers through misleading emergency calls.
According to officials, Szabo and his associates planned to target various types of properties, including government structures, places of worship, and homes of high-profile government figures. They utilized the internet to incite police responses to false bomb threats and other dangerous scenarios.
Szabo, who operated under several online aliases such as “Planck,” “Jona,” and “Cipher,” is said to have encouraged his followers to make these threats starting in late 2020.
Attorney General Pam Bondy remarked, “The defendant led a dangerous criminal conspiracy, deliberately threatening dozens of government officials with violent hoaxes and targeting our country’s security infrastructure remotely.” This case underlines the DOJ’s commitment to preserving safety and collaborating with international partners to neutralize these threats at their origin.
Among the incidents linked to Szabo are alarming threats made against a New York City synagogue in December 2020, as well as bomb threats directed at the US Capitol in January 2021.
Interestingly, the indictment notes that Szabo didn’t align himself with any particular political side, choosing to target both right and left-leaning figures.
Szabo is scheduled for sentencing in October by US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, DC.
Following this legal action, one of Szabo’s targets expressed relief on social media. “I was informed that there were ongoing investigations related to my swatting incident last year,” commented attorney Jonathan Turley, referencing the federal complaints against the accused. He conveyed gratitude towards the DOJ for their efforts in 2023 to track down those responsible for threatening his home around the holiday season and expressed hope that this prosecution would deter such anonymous offenders.
