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What just happened? Just because someone doesn't live in the US doesn't mean they are safe from the consequences of swatting people in the States. Two men in Europe have discovered this fact after being charged over a series of swatting attacks that targeted high-profile individuals, including US government officials and members of Congress.
Last year, it was estimated that there are around 1,000 swatting incidents annually in the US. The act of contacting authorities to falsely claim someone is brandishing a weapon or engaging in other serious crimes can have deadly repercussions. The most infamous incident resulted in the death of 28-year-old Andrew Finch, who was killed by police after being swatted following a Call of Duty match that he wasn't even involved in.
According to court documents, Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, reported almost 120 fake emergencies to US crisis intervention hotlines and government agencies, or posted evidence of crimes online, in the hope that an armed law enforcement unit would respond.
The Justice Department said there were 61 public officials and 40 private victims, including members of the House and Senate, Cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior officials of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. Two of the targets were Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, was swatted on the day the pair's crime spree is believed to have begun, suggesting it was the defendants' work.
– Rep. Brandon Williams (@RepWilliams) December 25, 2023Our home was swatted this afternoon. Thanks to the Deputies and Troopers who contacted me before arriving.
They left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas everyone! pic.twitter.com/uQ2xkzLVJ6
The defendants are alleged to have committed bomb threats against four businesses, four religious institutions, and one university.
Szabo and Radovanovic have both been charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce. A court filing said investigators believed they were in separate foreign countries last week. According to a source with knowledge of the case, Szabo is in custody.
The pair's actions began in December 2020 and continued until January 2024. They carried out their swatting attacks by first obtaining personal identifying information, including home addresses, of their intended victims, using it to falsely report emergencies at the addresses.
"Swatting is not a victimless prank - it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma," said US Attorney Matthew Graves. "We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be."
In June last year, the rise in swatting incidents in the US led to the FBI creating a national database for law enforcement across the country to track and share information on these hoax calls.