An indictment was unsealed Thursday (Aug. 29, 2024) charging two foreign nationals with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials.
Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce. Szabo was responsible for the 2021 swatting/bomb threat at the School of Mines in Rapid City, South Dakota. This case was handled on the national level. The South Dakota investigation contributed some significant evidence of Szabo’s conduct early in the conspiracy.
According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic and others were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December 2020 and continued through January. 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 Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”
“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 Matt McCool of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Washington Field Office. “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 David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “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.”
The USSS Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, FBI Washington Field Office, FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating the case. Assistance was provided by the USSS’ Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western District of Washington, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Illinois and Northern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe for the District of Columbia is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Comments