A British man, Joseph James O'Connor, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the US attorney's office for his involvement in hacking schemes that targeted the Twitter accounts of celebrities, including prominent figures like President Joe Biden and now Twitter owner Elon Musk, reported the Guardian.&nbsp;The US authorities announced the verdict on Friday, highlighting the severity of O'Connor's actions.

<h2>Joseph James O'Connor pleads guilty to cybercrimes targeting high-profile individuals</h2>

O'Connor admitted to participating in a hacking group that successfully compromised over 130 Twitter accounts, using them to promote a Bitcoin scam.

Among the victims were well-known entities such as Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, and former US President Barack Obama. In addition, O'Connor pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $794,000 in virtual currency from a cryptocurrency company based in New York.

The arrest of O'Connor took place nearly two years ago in Spain, following the hacking incident that occurred in July 2020. After extradition proceedings, he was brought to the United States in April to face the charges filed against him.

The list of charges includes conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and stalking of two victims, among others. The most serious charge could have carried a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

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Apart from the prison sentence, O'Connor has also been ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution of $794,000. The impact of his criminal activities has been significant, as he harassed, threatened, and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm.

Kenneth A Polite Jr, an assistant attorney general in the US justice department's criminal division, emphasised the flagrant and malicious nature of O'Connor's conduct, noting his attempts to remain anonymous by using computers, stealth accounts, and aliases outside the United States.

This case also involves two other individuals who have been charged with federal crimes related to the hacking incident. Nima Fazeli, hailing from Florida, and Mason Sheppard, a resident of Bognor Regis in the UK, are both implicated in the cybercrimes.

Additionally, a Florida teenager named Graham Ivan Clark, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the hacking group, was sentenced to three years in juvenile prison in July 2021, as permitted under state law.

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The series of attacks on Twitter, which unfolded over several hours in July 2020, caused significant disruption and led the social media company to take unprecedented measures, including temporarily halting all verified accounts from tweeting. 
 
The incident underscored the vulnerability of high-profile individuals and organisations to cybercrimes, prompting increased attention to cybersecurity measures and the need for robust safeguards to protect against future attacks. 
 
&nbsp;

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A British man, Joseph James O'Connor, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the US attorney's office for his involvement in hacking schemes that targeted the Twitter accounts of celebrities, including prominent figures like President Joe Biden and now Twitter owner Elon Musk, reported the Guardian.

A British man, Joseph James O'Connor, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the US attorney's office for his involvement in hacking schemes that targeted the Twitter accounts of celebrities, including prominent figures like President Joe Biden and now Twitter owner Elon Musk, reported the Guardian. The US authorities announced the verdict on Friday, highlighting the severity of O'Connor's actions. Joseph James O'Connor pleads guilty to cybercrimes targeting high-profile individuals O'Connor admitted to participating in a hacking group that successfully compromised over 130 Twitter accounts, using them to promote a Bitcoin scam. Among the victims were well-known entities such as Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, and former US President Barack Obama. In addition, O'Connor pleaded guilty to stealing approximately $794,000 in virtual currency from a cryptocurrency company based in New York. The arrest of O'Connor took place nearly two years ago in Spain, following the hacking incident that occurred in July 2020. After extradition proceedings, he was brought to the United States in April to face the charges filed against him. The list of charges includes conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and stalking of two victims, among others. The most serious charge could have carried a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Also read | Illegal vapes flood UK markets, authorities seized over 2.5 million in three years, reveals data Apart from the prison sentence, O'Connor has also been ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution of $794,000. The impact of his criminal activities has been significant, as he harassed, threatened, and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm. Kenneth A Polite Jr, an assistant attorney general in the US justice department's criminal division, emphasised the flagrant and malicious nature of O'Connor's conduct, noting his attempts to remain anonymous by using computers, stealth accounts, and aliases outside the United States. This case also involves two other individuals who have been charged with federal crimes related to the hacking incident. Nima Fazeli, hailing from Florida, and Mason Sheppard, a resident of Bognor Regis in the UK, are both implicated in the cybercrimes. Additionally, a Florida teenager named Graham Ivan Clark, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the hacking group, was sentenced to three years in juvenile prison in July 2021, as permitted under state law. Also watch | Poll: Support drops massively for the UK government The series of attacks on Twitter, which unfolded over several hours in July 2020, caused significant disruption and led the social media company to take unprecedented measures, including temporarily halting all verified accounts from tweeting. The incident underscored the vulnerability of high-profile individuals and organisations to cybercrimes, prompting increased attention to cybersecurity measures and the need for robust safeguards to protect against future attacks. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

British man sentenced to 5 years in prison for hacking celebrity Twitter accounts

A man from the United Kingdom (UK) has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes, including the 2020 hack of Twitter, according to the US Justice Department on Tuesday (May 9). Joseph James O'Connor pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to commit computer intrusions, to commit wire fraud, and to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23.

In 2020, Twitter accounts of then-US presidential election candidate Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former US president Barack Obama were hacked. The accounts of Kim Kardashian, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, American business magnate Warren Buffett, and rapper Kanye West were also hit.&nbsp;

O'Connor, 23, was extradited to the US on April 26 and was charged in both North Dakota and New York. A report by the news agency Reuters on Wednesday said that the North Dakota case was transferred to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.&nbsp;

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In <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/uk-citizen-extradited-and-pleads-guilty-cyber-crime-offenses">a statement</a>, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said that O'Connor's criminal activities were flagrant and malicious, and his conduct impacted multiple people’s lives. The 23-year-old harassed, threatened, and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm, Polite added.&nbsp;

On the other hand, US Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California said that O'Connor left an impressive trail of destruction in the wake of his wave of criminality.&nbsp;

“This case serves as a warning that the reach of the law is long, and criminals anywhere who use computers to commit crimes may end up facing the consequences of their actions in places they did not anticipate,” Ramsey added.&nbsp;

The cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes included gaining unauthorized access to social media accounts on Twitter in July 2020 as well as a TikTok account the next month, as per prosecutors. Along with his co-conspirators, O'Connor stole at least $794,000 worth of cryptocurrency.

O'Connor was arrested nearly two years ago in Spain for the hack. He used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to prevent some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours until security could be restored.

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A man from the United Kingdom (UK) has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes, including the 2020 hack of Twitter, according to the US Justice Department on Tuesday (May 9).

A man from the United Kingdom (UK) has pleaded guilty to cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes, including the 2020 hack of Twitter, according to the US Justice Department on Tuesday (May 9). Joseph James O'Connor pleaded guilty to charges including conspiring to commit computer intrusions, to commit wire fraud, and to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23. In 2020, Twitter accounts of then-US presidential election candidate Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former US president Barack Obama were hacked. The accounts of Kim Kardashian, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, American business magnate Warren Buffett, and rapper Kanye West were also hit. O'Connor, 23, was extradited to the US on April 26 and was charged in both North Dakota and New York. A report by the news agency Reuters on Wednesday said that the North Dakota case was transferred to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. ALSO READ | Twitter 2.0? Musk say Twitter to soon allow voice & video calls, encrypt messaging In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said that O'Connor's criminal activities were flagrant and malicious, and his conduct impacted multiple people’s lives. The 23-year-old harassed, threatened, and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm, Polite added. On the other hand, US Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California said that O'Connor left an impressive trail of destruction in the wake of his wave of criminality. “This case serves as a warning that the reach of the law is long, and criminals anywhere who use computers to commit crimes may end up facing the consequences of their actions in places they did not anticipate,” Ramsey added. The cyberstalking and computer hacking schemes included gaining unauthorized access to social media accounts on Twitter in July 2020 as well as a TikTok account the next month, as per prosecutors. Along with his co-conspirators, O'Connor stole at least $794,000 worth of cryptocurrency. O'Connor was arrested nearly two years ago in Spain for the hack. He used the accounts to solicit digital currency, prompting Twitter to prevent some verified accounts from publishing messages for several hours until security could be restored. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK man pleads guilty to 2020 hijacking Twitter accounts of Biden, Obama, Kim Kardashian

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British man sentenced to 5 years in prison for hacking celebrity Twitter accounts

UK man pleads guilty to 2020 hijacking Twitter accounts of Biden, Obama, Kim Kardashian