A federal judge in Washington D.C. handed down a four-year prison sentence Wednesday to a Romanian citizen who orchestrated fake emergency calls targeting numerous high-ranking American officials, federal prosecutors announced.
Thomasz Szabo, age 27, coordinated what authorities describe as an extensive campaign of fraudulent threats aimed at congressional members, cabinet officials, federal judges, and top law enforcement administrators.
The defendant had become heavily involved in swatting – a hazardous type of cyber harassment that has grown into a significant threat facing public servants throughout the United States political landscape.
Federal prosecutors had sought nearly five years behind bars for Szabo, who entered guilty pleas in June to conspiracy and threatening charges. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson also ordered three years of supervised release following his incarceration, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office.
“This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country,” Pirro said in a statement.
Starting in 2018 while based in Romania, Szabo established online chat platforms where he and similar-minded individuals engaged in internet harassment activities. His digital operations evolved by late 2020 to include swatting schemes, where participants place false emergency reports designed to trigger heavily armed police responses at victims’ residences. Additional conspirators assisted in placing the fraudulent calls.
“Despite (or because of) the fact that they resulted in far greater harm to the victim and society, these activities offered much more entertainment value to the defendant and his followers, since swatting and bomb threats often resulted in an observable real-world impact,” prosecutors wrote.
Authorities also charged Nemanja Radovanovic of Serbia in connection with Szabo’s case, though that matter remains pending.
A separate Florida case involved another Szabo collaborator. Alan Filion received a four-year sentence in February 2025 at age 18 after admitting guilt for approximately 375 swatting incidents between August 2022 and January 2024. Though Filion was underage during his criminal activities, he entered adult guilty pleas.
Court documents reveal that in December 2023, Szabo advised Radovanovic they should select victims from both major political parties because “we are not on any side.” The following day, Radovanovic and Filion launched a swatting campaign against at least 25 congressional members or their family members, plus dozens of additional state and federal government personnel, according to prosecutors.
“Over and over, police departments and other first responders were hijacked by the defendant and deployed to fictitious emergencies,” prosecutors wrote. “As a result, fewer personnel and resources were available to respond to real emergencies.”
Secret Service agents interviewed Szabo on January 19, 2024, after Romanian law enforcement searched his residence. Officials said he was extradited from Romania to the United States in November 2024.
