A seal reading "Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation" is displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington, DC, o August 9, 2022. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - A Romanian man was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in prison for leading an online "swatting" ring that targeted dozens of members of Congress, places of worship and even then-President-elect Donald Trump.
What we know:
Thomasz Szabo was sentenced to 48 months in prison on Wednesday, after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy and threats involving explosives, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
According to court documents, Szabo founded an online group in 2020 which made dozens of bomb threats and swatting calls at the homes of prominent officials.
Szabo himself was accused of making several of these false reports. In one instance in December 2020, Szabo threatened to carry out a mass shooting at several synagogues in New York City. Then, weeks later in January 2021, the DOJ said Szabo threatened to set off explosives at the U.S. Capitol Building to kill Trump, who was the President-elect at the time.
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By the numbers:
In just a few days between Dec. 24, 2023, and early January 2024, according to the DOJ, members of Szabo's crew made a staggering number of threats against prominent politicians and law enforcement members. In that time, they targeted more than two dozen congressmembers and their families, at least six high-ranking members of the Executive Branch, including several cabinet-level members, the heads of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, dozens of state government officials, and several journalists.
What they're saying:
FBI officials said that "Szabo sought to stoke fear and incite panic in victims" for years. Another official said that the group's "incessant swatting attacks created a tremendous drain on law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars, and put innocent civilians in harm's way."
The Source: Information in this story is from the U.S. Department of Justice.