Federal prosecutors have indicted two men from Europe for orchestrating “swatting” attacks against numerous U.S. officials, including a former president and a president-elect, as revealed by recently unsealed court documents.
2 European men charged with swatting US elected officials, including dozens of congressmen and a former president.
Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/m2Obnk52fN
— AF Post (@AFpost) August 29, 2024
Tomasz Szabo, 26, from Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, from Serbia, are accused of making close to 100 deceptive calls designed to provoke police deployments to the homes of about 100 individuals, as per the federal charges. These individuals notably included both high-profile public figures and seemingly random private citizens.
The indictment, however, does not directly accuse the pair of threatening a former president, but notes one victim as a “former elected official from the executive branch” who experienced a swatting incident on January 9, 2024.
Investigations have tracked Szabo and Radovanovic across different countries, with no current updates on their arrest status or legal representation according to online court filings in Washington. Reports indicate that the duo allegedly remained in separate countries as of last week.
Secret Service agents interrogated Szabo in Romania in January. During the questioning, he admitted his involvement in both swatting and bomb threats dating back to late 2020. Similarly, Radovanovic, questioned in Serbia in February, disclosed following a “script” during his swatting calls, claiming he acted under the direction of a minor who provided the addresses of the victims.
DC today, chages for swatting attacks and bomb threats against senior US government officials. Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives pic.twitter.com/NwrUP4E8uE
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) August 28, 2024
Both men face charges of conspiracy and numerous counts of making threats, with their alleged activities spanning from December 2020 through January 2024. The indictment details how Szabo led online chat groups to organize these attacks, targeting 40 private individuals and 61 public figures including cabinet members, heads of federal agencies, a federal judge, and various state officials.
The gravity of their actions was highlighted just days before President Biden’s inauguration in January 2021 when Szabo allegedly threatened to detonate explosives at the U.S. Capitol and assassinate the president-elect during a call to a crisis hotline.
Matthew Graves, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, emphasized the severity of swatting, stating it poses real dangers, drains law enforcement resources, and causes significant emotional distress.
Two individuals from Romania and Serbia have been indicted in an extensive “swatting” conspiracy, which incited police responses to false emergencies at various locations including the private homes of lawmakers, and public venues like businesses and religious institutions
The… pic.twitter.com/2u3iLSW9Hj
— Qᴀɢɢ.ɴᴇᴡꜱ (@qaggnews) August 28, 2024
The indictment aligns with a reported rise in swatting incidents in late 2023 and early 2024, some linked to legal proceedings involving former President Trump, including a fabricated emergency at the residence of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presides over Trump’s election fraud case, and a fictitious emergency call targeting Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith on Christmas Day 2023.
Major Points:
- Tomasz Szabo from Romania and Nemanja Radovanovic from Serbia are charged with making nearly 100 “swatting” calls targeting U.S. officials, including a former president and president-elect.
- Both suspects are believed to be in different countries, with Szabo having been questioned in Romania and Radovanovic in Serbia, revealing their involvement in these deceptive practices since late 2020.
- The charges include conspiracy and multiple counts of making threats, stemming from activities that began in December 2020 and continued until January 2024.
- The indictment outlines that the swatting calls aimed at 40 private citizens and 61 public figures, including cabinet members, federal judges, and state officials.
- U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves highlighted the dangers of swatting, noting it wastes police resources and causes emotional trauma. A rise in such incidents was reported in late 2023 and early 2024, some linked to cases involving former President Trump.
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
