A Romanian citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to leading a years-long conspiracy targeting dozens of individuals — including members of Congress, places of worship, and a former United States president — with “swatting” calls and bomb threats intended to provoke fear and solicit a police response.

Thomasz Szabo, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiracy and one count of threats and false information regarding explosives. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23.

Federal prosecutors say Szabo was the leader of an online community that engaged in bomb threats and “swatting” — a term that refers to making false reports of an ongoing threat of........

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