Hacker responsible for leading BreachForums, a prominent online hacking community, is given a three-year prison sentence.
In a significant move to combat cybercrime, the U.S. Department of Justice has secured the conviction of Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, the founder of BreachForums, a notorious cybercriminal marketplace.
Fitzpatrick, aged 22, was sentenced to three years in federal prison as part of his plea agreement. As part of the agreement, he forfeited over 100 domain names associated with BreachForums' infrastructure, more than a dozen electronic devices, and cryptocurrency proceeds.
The Justice Department, under the leadership of Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, has been relentless in its pursuit of cybercriminals. Since 2020, the department has secured convictions of over 180 cybercriminals and facilitated the return of over $350 million to victims.
BreachForums, which emerged as the successor to RaidForums, was seized by law enforcement in February 2022, marked a significant victory in the department's ongoing efforts to combat dark web marketplaces. The forum, which operated as one of the world's largest cybercriminal marketplaces, had access to 888 datasets containing over 14 billion individual records of stolen information.
The forum specialized in trafficking personally identifiable information (PII) and was a platform that facilitated the sale of stolen data. Notable breaches on BreachForums included a database with contact information for approximately 200 million users of a major U.S. social networking platform. Sensitive details of 87,760 InfraGard members were also breached, a critical infrastructure protection partnership between the FBI and private sector entities.
BreachForums also trafficked credentials from telecommunications providers, healthcare services, and internet service providers. The FBI's Washington Field Office conducted the investigation into BreachForums under its Cyber Division's ongoing efforts to combat dark web marketplaces.
The original sentence of 17 days served was vacated and a new sentencing hearing was ordered due to a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decision on January 21, 2025. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to access device conspiracy, access device solicitation, and possession of child sexual abuse material under federal statutes.
The FBI's ongoing efforts to combat dark web marketplaces aim to prevent data theft, fraud, and other cybercrimes targeting critical infrastructure and private citizens. The Justice Department emphasized its commitment to dismantling cybercriminal infrastructure, stating that operators of similar forums should expect relentless investigation and prosecution.
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