WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, have been indicted on charges related to a years-long conspiracy involving “swatting” attacks and bomb threats targeting U.S. victims, including senior government officials. The indictment, unsealed on Thursday, includes 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 by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, along with senior officials from the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and U.S. Capitol Police.
According to the indictment, Szabo and Radovanovic were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December 2020 and continued through January 2024. The conspirators allegedly obtained personal information, such as home addresses, of their intended victims and used this information to carry out swatting attacks, which involve falsely reporting emergencies to provoke an armed police response at the victim’s location.
Szabo is alleged to have organized and moderated chat groups where the conspirators communicated using various monikers. Szabo used aliases such as “Jonah,” “Plank,” and “War Lord,” while Radovanovic operated under names like “XBD31,” “Angus,” and “Thuggin.”
The indictment details that the conspirators targeted 40 private individuals and 61 officials, including members of Congress, cabinet-level officials, senior federal law enforcement officials, and state officials. Additionally, the defendants are accused of making bomb threats against four businesses, four religious institutions, and one university.
“Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” stated 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.”
Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office emphasized the seriousness of these crimes, noting that they “abused critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens.”
The investigation involved the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office, FBI Washington and Minneapolis Field Offices, and the U.S. Capitol Police, with assistance from multiple other agencies including the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Bucharest. The case has also received support from various U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.
The indictment underscores the commitment of U.S. law enforcement to pursue and prosecute individuals involved in such dangerous criminal activities, regardless of their location.