Foreign nationals charged in swatting campaign against senior US government officials

Two foreign nationals have been charged in a swatting conspiracy against dozens of individuals, including senior U.S. government officials.

Thomasz Szabo of Romania and Nemanja Radovanovic of Serbia were each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information about explosives and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce, according to the press release from the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.

The indictment alleged that Szabo, 26, and Radovanovic, 21, were involved in a swatting conspiracy that began in December 2020 and continued through January 2024. The duo allegedly carried out the campaign by reporting false emergencies to provoke a police response at the victims’ homes, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleged that the two of them targeted 40 private victims and 61 government officials. The officials included members of Congress, Cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior officials of federal law enforcement agencies and state officials, per the press release.

The swatting incidents allegedly also included committing bomb threats against four businesses, four religious institutions and one university, the attorney’s office said.

“Swatting is not a victimless prank — it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who announced the charges Wednesday. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.”

A number of senior U.S. officials said over the past year that they were the victims of swatting incidents, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.). Former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) also said in a recent interview that a swatting incident involving his family ultimately drove him to his decision to leave the House earlier this year.

The FBI last year launched a swatting database amid the number of rising incidents that also involved educational institutions and places of worship.