Two foreign nationals have been charged in the United States with a prolonged conspiracy to carry out “swatting” attacks on American lawmakers, private individuals, religious institutions, and businesses. Swatting is a dangerous practice in which attackers make false reports of serious crimes, such as hostage situations or bomb threats, to prompt a response from law enforcement agencies.
The accused individuals in this case are 26-year-old Tomash Sabo from Romania and 21-year-old Nemana Radovanovich from Serbia. The criminal activity allegedly began in December 2020 and continued until January 2024. According to the prosecutors, Sabo and Radovanovich, along with their accomplices, gathered personal data of their victims, including home addresses, which they used to report fake emergencies. Sabo acted as the organizer and moderator of groups where the participants exchanged information using various pseudonyms.
The prosecution claims that the attackers carried out around 40 attacks on individuals and 61 attacks on officials, including members of the US Congress, representatives of federal agencies, and executive bodies. Additionally, the accused individuals threatened four private companies, four religious institutions, and a university.
Law enforcement agencies have stressed that swatting is not a harmless prank but a serious crime that endangers lives and diverts resources from real emergencies. Personnel from the US Secret Service, the FBI, the Capitol Police, and other departments were involved in investigating the case.
Sabo and Radovanovich will now face court proceedings on multiple charges, including conspiracy and making false threats. It is important to note that the indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.