Thomasz Szabo, 27, also known as “Plank,” “Jonah,” and “Cypher,” has been sentenced to 48 months in prison plus three years of supervised release.
A Romanian man has been sentenced to four years in prison for leading a swatting ring that targeted over 75 public officials, journalists, as well as the family of Human Events’ Jack Posobiec.
Thomasz Szabo, 27, also known as "Plank," "Jonah," and "Cypher," was extradited from Romania to the US in November of 2024, and pleaded guilty back in June of 2025 to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats involving explosives, per the Department of Justice. Following his 48-month prison term, District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson also ordered that Szabo serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 57-month sentence for Szabo.
https://twitter.com/USAttyPirro/status/2049604017647452632?s=20
The Department of Justice said that Szabo founded and led an online community that "engaged in a pattern of bomb threats and 'swatting'" starting in late 2020. This included a threat against New York City synagogues of a mass shooting, as well as a January 2021 threat to detonate explosives at the US Capitol and kill then-president-elect Joe Biden.
In a string of swattings that took place from around Christmas in 2023 and early January 2024, subordinate members of Szabo’s group carried out swattings and bomb threats on at least 25 members of Congress or their family, six then-current or former Executive Branch officials, 13 then-current for former federal law enforcement officials, members of the federal judiciary, 27 then-current or former state government officials or family members, four religious institutions, and multiple members of the media.
Among those targeted was Posobiec, whose parents were the subjects of a swatting incident on December 23, 2023. Police in that instance had been told that Posobiec had shot his parents and was threatening to shoot his family. Posobiec’s parents were swatted again on Christmas Day, with the caller claiming to authorities that Posobiec had shot his wife and sons.
During the spree of swattings and threats, one of Szabo’s subordinates bragged to him, "I did 25+ swattings today," and "creating massive havoc in [A]merica. $500,000 in taxpayers wasted in just two days."
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said, "Members of Congress, cabinet officials, the heads of federal law enforcement agencies, churches, journalists — Thomasz Szabo and his followers targeted them all with swatting calls and fake bomb threats designed to send armed police to their doors. This administration will not tolerate attacks on the institutions and individuals who serve this country. Szabo was extradited from Romania to face justice in an American courtroom, and today he has reaped the consequences of his actions."
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