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.”Īccording to the allegations in the publicly filed charging documents against O’CONNOR, court filings, and statements made in court:ĭuring a cyber intrusion known as a SIM swap attack, cyber threat actors gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number by linking that number to a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) card controlled by the threat actors, resulting in the victim’s calls and messages being routed to a malicious unauthorized device controlled by the threat actors. Ramsey said: “O’Connor has left an impressive trail of destruction in the wake of his wave of criminality. But this plea shows that our investigators and prosecutors will identify, locate, and bring to justice such criminals to ensure they face the consequences for their crimes.” Like many criminal actors, O’Connor tried to stay anonymous by using a computer to hide behind stealth accounts and aliases from outside the United States. He harassed, threatened, and extorted his victims, causing substantial emotional harm. said: “O’Connor’s criminal activities were flagrant and malicious, and his conduct impacted multiple people’s lives. O’Connor’s guilty plea today is a testament to the importance of law enforcement cooperation, and I thank our law enforcement partners for helping to bring to justice those who victimize others through cyber-attacks.”Īssistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joseph O’Connor, a/k/a “PlugwalkJoe,” used his sophisticated technological abilities for malicious purposes – conducting a complex SIM swap attack to steal large amounts of cryptocurrency, hacking Twitter, conducting computer intrusions to take over social media accounts, and even cyberstalking two victims, including a minor victim. Rakoff to two sets of charges: (i) conspiracy to commit computer hacking and other charges pending in the Southern District of New York relating to a fraudulent scheme perpetrated by O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators to use a cyber intrusion technique known as a SIM swap attack to steal approximately $794,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company and then to launder the proceeds of the scheme (the “SDNY Case”) and (ii) a set of charges filed in the Northern District of California, and transferred to the SDNY under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, relating to O’Connor’s role in the July 2020 hack of Twitter, computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts, and cyberstalking two separate victims (the “NDCA Case”). O’CONNOR was extradited from Spain on April 26, 2023, and pled guilty earlier today before U.S. Ramsey, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, announced today the extradition and guilty plea of JOSEPH JAMES O’CONNOR, a/k/a “PlugwalkJoe,” a U.K. Polite, Jr., the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and Ismail J. Tybee Denton was solid in the circle, pitching all five innings with two runs allowed on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts.Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Kenneth A. Wicker, Jolie Lester and Forehand all homered in the fifth as the Nighthawks got the run rule in the fifth. Sophie Mooney got things started with a three-run home run, followed by solo shots from Hannah Forehand and Mariah Wicker.ĬSU answered with a two-run home run from Hannah Rose Corbin in the bottom of the first. UNG (57-8) put up six runs in the first inning. The win gives the Nighthawks their ninth straight PBC Tournament championship, extending what is already the longest softball championship winning streak in league history. COLUMBUS, GA - The North Georgia Nighthawks hit five home runs as they jumped out to an early big lead and won the 2023 PBC Softball Tournament title 12-2 over Columbus State on Saturday.
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