Romanian leader of online swatting ring gets 4 years in prison

Source: Bleeping Computer

A Romanian national who led an online swatting ring that targeted more than 75 public officials, multiple journalists, and four religious institutions was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

Swatting

Swatting is a dangerous criminal harassment tactic involving false reports to emergency responders of an ongoing violent threat at a target’s address, intended to provoke an armed police response.

Sentencing and Charges

• Thomasz Szabo, 27, was extradited from Romania in November 2024.
• He pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives.
• Sentence: 4 years in federal prison + 3 years of supervised release.

Background and Aliases

Szabo operated online under numerous aliases, including:

• “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”

He founded and led an online community that began a pattern of bomb threats and swatting attacks in late 2020.

Court Findings

According to court documents, Szabo personally made false reports to U.S. law enforcement, including:

• A December 2020 threat to carry out a mass shooting at New York City synagogues.
• A January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and kill President‑elect Joe Biden.

“Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists — Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.
“Szabo was extradited from Romania to face justice in an American courtroom, and today he has reaped the consequences of his actions.”

Impact of the Swatting Campaign

• Targets: At least 25 members of Congress or their family members, six senior executive‑branch officials (including cabinet‑level figures), 13 senior federal law‑enforcement officials, members of the federal judiciary, 27 state officials, and four religious institutions.
• Scale: One group member boasted of conducting more than 25 swatting calls in a single day, wasting over $500,000 in taxpayer funds across two days.

Additional Accomplice

• Nemanja Radovanovic, a 23‑year‑old Serbian national, was also charged in August 2024 in connection with the same scheme and faces separate proceedings.
  Read the charging announcement.

“Mr. Szabo’s and his co‑conspirators’ incessant swatting attacks created a tremendous drain on law‑enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars and put innocent civilians in harm’s way,” added FBI Special Agent Michael Burgwald. “Today’s sentencing is an important step toward ensuring that those who believe swatting is just a prank will be disabused of that notion and making it clear that those who engage in it will face justice.”