UK Citizen Pleads Guilty to Cybercrime with $794k in Losses
• Joseph James O’Connor, a UK citizen, pleaded guilty to cybercrime involving $794k in crypto losses.
• O’Connor orchestrated the July 2020 Twitter hack and SIM swap techniques to defraud victims.
• O’Connor is facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
UK Citizen Pleads Guilty To Cybercrime
A UK citizen, Joseph James O’Connor, has pleaded guilty to numerous cybercrimes totaling a staggering $794k worth of crypto losses. The 23-year-old was extradited from Spain on April 23 and is due for sentencing on June 23 by Judge Rakoff of the Southern District of New York. If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 20 years behind bars.
High Profile Twitter Hack
O’Connor is responsible for orchestrating a high profile Twitter hack in July 2020 that enabled scammers to steal thousands of dollars worth of bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptos from victims via fake giveaway campaigns. He was also involved with highly sophisticated SIM swapping techniques used to defraud an unnamed Manhattan-based firm out of its crypto holdings.
US Department Of Justice Statement
The US Department Of Justice released a statement regarding O’Connor’s plea on May 9th noting that he „[used] his sophisticated technological abilities for malicious purposes.“ These included computer intrusions, cyberstalking two victims including a minor victim in addition to the hijacking of celebrity accounts by fake giveaways scams and SIM swapping attacks.
Sentencing On June 23rd
O’Conner will face sentencing by Judge Rakoff on June 23rd where he will be subject to possible conviction on all charges which could result in spending over 20 years behind bars. It remains unclear what the exact sentence will be but it’s clear that the individuals responsible for these malicious acts are being taken seriously by authorities across borders and jurisdictions alike with swift action taken against them whenever necessary.
Conclusion
It appears that justice is being served as Joseph James O‘ Conner pleads guilty to numerous cybercrimes involving millions worth of stolen cryptocurrency from innocent victims around the world via SIM swapping attack and other malicious activities such as computer intrusions and cyberstalking two victims including a minor victim . His sentencing is set for June 23rd by Judge Rakoff with potential conviction leading to over 20 years imprisonment if found guilty on all charges levied against him