Romanian national sentenced to 4 years for leading swatting ring

According to Bleeping Computer, a Romanian national has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for leading an online swatting ring that targeted over 75 public officials, journalists, and religious institutions.

The individual, identified as 27-year-old Thomasz Szabo, operated under various aliases and founded a community that engaged in bomb threats and swatting attacks starting in late 2020. Szabo personally made false reports to U.S. law enforcement, including threats of a mass shooting at New York City synagogues and a plot to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol. His activities prompted swatting attacks against at least 25 members of Congress, six senior executive branch officials, 13 senior federal law enforcement officials, federal judges, 27 state officials, and four religious institutions.

Szabo was extradited from Romania in November 2024 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy and threats involving explosives. Another accomplice, a Serbian national, faces separate proceedings.

Source: Bleeping Computer