In a major development, two foreign nationals have been indicted for their alleged involvement in a long-standing conspiracy to perpetrate "swatting" attacks and bomb threats against victims in the United States, including senior government officials. The indictment against Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia was unsealed today, revealing charges of conspiracy, threats and false information regarding explosives, as well as transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce.

The charges were announced by a group of high-ranking officials including U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office.

According to the unsealed indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and other unidentified individuals were part of a meticulously planned conspiracy that began in December 2020 and lasted until January 2024. The indictment alleges that the perpetrators meticulously obtained personal identifying information of their intended victims, including home addresses, in order to carry out their malicious activities.

The main tactic employed by the conspirators was "swatting." This involved falsely reporting emergencies to law enforcement agencies, with the intention of provoking a large-scale police response at the victim's home. By doing so, the perpetrators recklessly endangered innocent individuals, wasted valuable police resources, and inflicted significant emotional trauma upon their targets.

The indictment further alleges that the defendants, in furtherance of their conspiracy, executed swatting attempts against a staggering total of 101 victims, comprising 40 private individuals and 61 government officials. These officials included members of Congress, high-level executive branch officials, senior officials from federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state officials.

Additionally, the indictment outlines that the defendants also committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four religious institutions, and one university. These acts of threats and violence disrupted the normal functioning of these establishments and posed a serious danger to public safety.

U.S. Attorney Graves emphasized the severity of such crimes, stating, "Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma." He further vowed to employ every available resource to bring the perpetrators to justice, regardless of their location.

Special Agent in Charge McCool commended the outstanding investigative work carried out by the Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office, highlighting the impact these crimes had on elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. McCool stated, "We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice."

Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg spoke about the seriousness of swatting and emphasized the FBI's determination to pursue and apprehend those who engage in such dangerous acts, irrespective of their whereabouts.

The investigation into this case was a joint effort involving the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI's Washington Field Office and Minneapolis Field Office, as well as the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistance was also provided by multiple entities including the U.S. Secret Service's Bucharest Resident Office, various FBI offices, and several U.S. Attorney's Offices across the country.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe. These charges serve as a strong message that the justice system will not tolerate such disruptive and potentially deadly acts, and that those responsible will face severe consequences for their actions.