Posted by • UK citizen Joseph James O’Connor pleads guilty to cybercrime with over $794k in losses
• He was extradited from Spain and charged with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, cyber intrusion, cyberstalking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and more
• He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
UK Citizen Pleads Guilty To Cybercrime
UK citizen Joseph James O’Connor has pleaded guilty to orchestrating SIM swapping and other cyber attacks that saw victims lose $794,000 in crypto. Extradited from Spain on April 23rd 2021, O’Connor faces multiple counts of conspiring to commit computer hacking, cyber intrusion, cyberstalking, and wire fraud – for which he could spend up to 20 years in prison.
SIM Swapping And Twitter Hack
O’Connor is responsible for the July 2020 high-profile Twitter hack which stole thousands of dollars worth of Bitcoin (BTC) from users via a fake giveaway campaign. The 23-year old also used sophisticated SIM swapping techniques to steal large sums of crypto from a Manhattan-based firm.
US Department Of Justice Statement
In a statement released by the US Department Of Justice on May 9th 2021 they said: “Joseph O’Connor […] used his sophisticated technological abilities for malicious purposes – conducting a complex SIM swap attack to steal large amounts of crypto.”
Sentencing Date Set For June 23rd
O’Connor will be sentenced by Judge Rakoff of the Southern District Of New York on June 23rd 2021. If found guilty he could face up to 20 years in prison for his actions.
Conclusion
The case highlights how serious the consequences are when it comes to committing cybercrimes such as SIM swapping and using tech for malicious purposes – with potentially devastating effects on victims.