A 26-year-old Romanian national, Thomasz Szabo, has pleaded guilty to charges tied to his role in a ‘swatting’ ring that targeted over 75 public officials, including a former U.S. president. Szabo, operating under aliases such as ‘Plank,’ ‘Jonah,’ and ‘Cypher,’ was involved in a long-term conspiracy to make fraudulent 911 calls claiming emergencies at the homes of top government officials and bomb threats against government buildings and houses of worship. The Justice Department alleges that Szabo and his co-conspirator, a 21-year-old Serbian national named Nemanja Radovanovic, targeted approximately 100 individuals, including members of Congress, governors, cabinet officials, and state officials. Szabo, who was extradited from Romania in November 2022, faces sentencing in a Washington, D.C., federal court in October. Charges against Radovanovic are still pending.
The case highlights the growing threat of cybercrime and the use of the internet to conduct criminal activities that can endanger public safety. ‘Swatting’ is a serious crime that involves making false emergency calls to dispatch law enforcement or emergency response teams to a location, often with the intent of causing harm or panic. Szabo’s involvement in this conspiracy underscores the global nature of such crimes, as perpetrators can operate from multiple countries and exploit international extradition processes. Law enforcement agencies and governments are increasingly working together to combat these types of cybercrimes, which can have significant implications for national security and public safety.