Romanian man pleads guilty to leading swatting ring targeting US government officials

The leader of a swatting gang has pleaded guilty to targeting victims in the US, including members of Congress, Churches, and a former US President.

Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, founded the online swatting community in late 2020, according to court documents.

The gang made various bomb threats and engaged in “swatting” activities, the process of reporting fake threats of violence to authorities.

These attacks usually result in a large number of armed police officers storming the target's address, thinking that the call is legitimate.

Szabo made various fake threats to US law enforcement, such as the threat to commit a mass shooting at a New York synagogue in 2020.

The gang leader also threatened to set off explosives in the Capitol building and kill then-President Joe Biden in 2021, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.

But the swatting didn’t stop there. In 2023 through to early 2024, members of the group went on what the DoJ has called a “spree of swatting and bomb threats” which targeted Members of Congress or their family members, and countless government officials.

The group also targeted four religious institutions during the operation and various media members. The number of members in this unknown swatting group is unknown.

Szabo boasted about his antics, saying: “I did 25+ swattings today” and that he was “creating mass havoc in America,” which supposedly wasted $500,000 of taxpayer money in just two days.

Not only did Szabo boast about wasted law enforcement time and taxpayers' money, but he also encouraged his “online community” to create similar chaos.

The ring leader was extradited from Romania in November 2024 and ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives.

Both counts could earn Szabo a maximum of 15 years in prison.