The Department of Justice has charged two foreign nationals in connection with a swatting conspiracy that targeted Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, along with other lawmakers, houses of worship, businesses and private individuals across the United States.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, were involved in a yearslong conspiracy to carry out swatting attacks and bomb threats against various U.S. citizens, including prominent government officials.
The charges against both men include one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.
According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim's home.
Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.”
The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university.
“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”
A Dangerous Crime
Swatting involves making a false report to emergency services, typically claiming that a serious crime, like a hostage situation or active shooter, is occurring at a specific location. This hoax triggers a large response from law enforcement, often involving a SWAT team, hence the name “swatting.”
The danger comes from the potential for violence when heavily armed police respond to what they believe is a life-threatening situation. Innocent people at the targeted location can be put at serious risk of harm or even death. Swatting is not only disruptive and frightening but can also divert emergency resources away from actual emergencies, making it a serious public safety concern.
People have been killed in swatting incidents. Here are a couple notable examples:
–Andrew Finch (Wichita, Kansas, 2017): One of the most infamous cases occurred in December 2017 when a man named Andrew Finch was killed by police after a swatting incident in Wichita, Kansas. The incident was the result of a dispute between two online gamers. A man falsely reported to police that there was a hostage situation at Finch's address. When Finch answered the door, he was shot by a police officer who believed the situation was dangerous. The man responsible for the swatting, Tyler Barriss, was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for making the false report.
–Mark Herring (Bethpage, Tennessee, 2020): Mark Herring, a 60-year-old man, died of a heart attack in April 2020 after being swatted over a dispute involving his Twitter handle. The swatting was initiated by individuals who wanted to force Herring to give up his handle. A false report led police to his home, and the stress of the situation caused him to suffer a fatal heart attack. Several individuals involved in the swatting were charged and convicted.
“I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.”
“Today's charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.”
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI's Washington Field Office and Minneapolis Field Office, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service's Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office, the FBI's Legal Office in Bucharest and the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe is prosecuting the case.
Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Click here to see the full indictment.
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