Full Breakdown
Romanian National Sentenced for Swatting U.S. Officials in Multi-Year Harassment Campaign
4/30/2026, 6:48:55 AM
Sentencing of Thomasz Szabo
On April 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced 27-year-old Romanian Thomasz Szabo to four years in prison and three years supervised release for conspiracy and bomb-threat charges. He received credit for about 20 months served. The sentence follows his June 2025 guilty plea and his November 2024 extradition. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the administration “will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country.”
Background of the Swatting Campaign
Prosecutors say Szabo created Romanian trolling chat servers in 2018 and added swatting—false emergency calls—by late 2020. In December 2023 he told associates to target both parties, noting “we are not on any side.” Bomb threats later followed.
Key Participants
Key figures are Szabo, the Romanian organizer; Nemanja Radovanovic, a Serbian associate whose case is pending; Alan Filion, a U.S. citizen who pleaded guilty to 375 swatting calls and received a four-year sentence; Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who announced the sentencing; and Police Chief Michael Sullivan, who warned of swatting’s danger.
Timeline of the Investigation
2018: Szabo creates Romanian trolling chat servers. Late 2020: Swatting begins. Dec 2023: He orders targets from both parties. Jan 19 2024: Secret Service interviews Szabo after a Romanian raid. Nov 2024: Extradition to the U.S. June 2 2025: Guilty plea. Feb 2025: Filion sentenced for 375 calls. Apr 29 2026: Szabo sentenced to four years.
Scope and Impact
Prosecutors say at least 25 members of Congress or relatives and dozens of state and federal officials were targeted. Filion’s 375 calls and the wider network cost over $500,000 in taxpayer funds in two days, and bomb threats accompanied many hoax calls. The false alarms diverted police and first responders to fictitious emergencies, straining local and federal response capacity.
Official Statements, Conflicts, and Gaps
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the administration will not tolerate attacks on public servants, while Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan called swatting “extremely dangerous” and praised investigators for cross-border tracking. Prosecutors had sought a near-five-year term, but the court imposed four years. Officials describe the target count as both “dozens” and “at least 25 members of Congress plus dozens more.” Nemanja Radovanovic’s case remains pending, and no defense statements have been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country,” — Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
- “Swatting is not just a nuisance, it’s extremely dangerous,” — Michael Sullivan, U.S. Capitol Police Chief
- “we are not on any side,” — Thomasz Szabo, defendant
- “Over and over, police departments and other first responders were hijacked by the defendant and deployed to fictitious emergencies,” — Prosecutors, U.S. Department of Justice
