A Romanian man was sentenced in the United States to 4 years in prison after orchestrating a complex network of fake “swatting” attacks and bomb threats that set the American authorities on fire and targeted dozens of high-ranking officials, public institutions and journalists from several countries.
Romanian Thomasz Szabo, 27, was sentenced by a federal court in the United States to 48 months in prison for his role as the leader of an online network involved in waves of “swatting” and false bomb threats directed at public officials, journalists and institutions in the United States, according to justice.gov.
More than 75 officials and institutions, targets of fake attacks
According to the US authorities, Szabo was the founder and coordinator of an online community that, starting in 2020, carried out a series of actions in which false calls were made to emergency services, fictitiously reporting armed attacks or threats of explosives to the addresses of victims, with the aim of provoking forceful police interventions.
The group targeted more than 75 public officials, including members of the US Congress, former and current federal government officials, heads of law enforcement agencies, members of the judiciary, as well as several religious institutions and journalists.
Between December 2023 and January 2024, members of the network allegedly carried out dozens of such attacks “swatting”generating costly emergency interventions and endangering the safety of victims.
In some cases, they boasted that they had provoked “massive chaos” and consumed hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money in just a few days.
Prosecutors allege that Szabo encouraged and coordinated these actions, promoting the group’s activity and directing the behavior of its members.
He has also previously made serious threats, including armed attacks on synagogues in New York and threats of explosives at the US Capitol.
“Swatting” is an extremely dangerous practice, whereby false emergency calls are made to prompt police intervention at an address, with the risk of armed confrontations and innocent victims.
Thomasz Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy and threats involving explosives. In addition to the 48-month prison sentence, the court also ordered three years of supervised release after serving the sentence.
US authorities described the case as an example of the real danger posed by “swatting”, stressing that such acts are not pranks, but serious crimes, and those involved will be held accountable regardless of where they are.
