The Department of Justice sentenced Romanian national Thomasz Szabo, 27, to four years in federal prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives.
Szabo, extradited from Romania in November 2024, pleaded guilty in June 2025. Operating under aliases including “Jonah,” “War Lord,” and “Cypher,” he’d founded an online community that began coordinated bomb threats and swatting attacks in late 2020. His targets included at least 25 members of Congress or their family members, at least six senior executive branch officials including multiple cabinet-level figures, at least 13 senior federal law enforcement officials, members of the federal judiciary, at least 27 state officials, multiple journalists, and four religious institutions.
Szabo personally made false reports to U.S. law enforcement: a December 2020 threat of a mass shooting at New York City synagogues, and a January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill President-elect Joe Biden. He also advertised his activities to followers, encouraging copycat attacks. One member boasted of more than 25 swatting calls in a single day and claimed to have wasted more than $500,000 in taxpayer funds over two days.
U.S. Attorney Pirro said Szabo “has reaped the consequences of his actions.” FBI Special Agent Michael Burgwald called it “an important step” toward making clear that swatting isn’t just a prank. The court imposed three years of supervised release alongside the prison term.
Serbian co-conspirator Nemanja Radovanovic, 23, was charged in August 2024 and faces separate proceedings.
James Okafor