Joseph O’Connor, known in some corners of the internet as PlugWalkJoe, was charged with a number of charges related to hacking a cryptocurrency exchange in May 2019. During the attack, he allegedly escaped with digital assets worth about $784,000.
Authorities believe O’Connor used a SIM card in a criminal scheme (a scam in which phone calls and text messages are redirected from 2FA to a scam controlled device) on three separate managers of an undisclosed crypto company to gain control of the business owner. systems. O’Connor was then able to forward more than 7 BTC, 407 ETH, 6363 LTC and 770 BCH from wallets held by the company on behalf of users to wallets under his own control.
The indictment was filed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, known for its high-profile economic crimes prosecution. The case went to Judge Richard Berman and was investigated by the FBI. O’Connor is specifically charged with conspiracy to hack computers, conspiracy to commit electronic fraud, conspiracy to launder money and aggravated identity theft. The identity theft count carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison after another conviction.
O’Connor is currently fighting extradition to the United States, having been arrested in July on charges filed in the Northern District of California in connection with the 2020 Twitter hack that allegedly took control of 130 separate known accounts. Twitter posts. – Including Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Apple and Kanye West. The perpetrators used these accounts to promote cryptocurrency fraud before hiding around $110,000 in fraudulent earnings.
