WASHINGTON – A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty today to conspiring to engage in a widespread swatting and bomb threat campaign that targeted dozens of public officials, religious institutions, and others.
According to court documents, Thomasz Szabo, also known as “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” 26, of Romania, was the leader of a swatting and bomb threat conspiracy that began in 2020. As part of the conspiracy, Szabo and his co-conspirators made numerous false reports of serious emergencies, including false bomb threats and active shooter threats, to law enforcement authorities and other third parties across the United States. Their actions were intended to generate an emergency law enforcement response, often deploying SWAT teams to the locations.
The victims of the conspiracy included:
- More than 75 public officials, including members of Congress, current and former Cabinet officials, and senior members of federal law enforcement;
- Four religious institutions, including synagogues;
- A foreign government facility;
- Journalists and commentators;
- School officials;
- Corporate executives;
- Other private citizens.
Between Dec. 24, 2023, and early January 2024, the conspiracy escalated with a wave of coordinated swatting and bomb threats. These included swatting incidents at the homes of multiple senators and representatives, as well as bomb threats made to federal courthouses and to the U.S. Capitol. One co-conspirator claimed to have swatted more than 25 targets in a single day. The perpetrators often took credit for the attacks in online posts.
Szabo was arrested in Romania in September 2023 and extradited to the United States in November 2024. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transmit threats and one count of transmitting threats in interstate commerce involving explosives. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and 10 years in prison for the explosives-related threat.
“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 Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to instill fear in our communities and obstruct the work of our public servants.”
“Swatting is not a prank. It is a deadly serious crime that endangers first responders and innocent people,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate these malicious hoaxes and will hold perpetrators accountable no matter where they are located.”
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and U.S. Capitol Police, with valuable assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Romanian authorities. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
