Joseph James O’Conner, a hacker involved in the infamous 2020 Twitter breach, was handed a five-year jail term by a federal court this Friday. Last month, O’Conner, who is known as PlugwalkJoe on the internet, admitted guilt to numerous cyber offenses, which included the execution of a SIM-swapping attack on a TikTok account with millions of followers.
The Twitter hack in 2020 facilitated O’Conner and his accomplices to gain access to the internal systems of the company, and consequently, to the accounts of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and over 100 other high-profile users. In the ensuing cryptocurrency scam, O’Conner made off with $794,000.
According to the Justice Department, “After misappropriating and illegally redirecting the cryptocurrency, O’Connor and his fellow culprits cleaned the money through numerous transactions and transfers, and even converted some of it into Bitcoin using cryptocurrency exchange services.” It further added, “A part of the stolen cryptocurrency was eventually placed into a cryptocurrency exchange account controlled by O’Connor.”
In 2021, Graham Ivan Clark, the alleged adolescent brain behind the intrusion, pled guilty in exchange for a three-year jail term. Besides his five-year prison term, O’Conner is mandated to serve three years under supervised release post his imprisonment. Furthermore, he is required to surrender the $794,000 he unlawfully obtained during the hack.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Twitter Hack 2020
Who is the person sentenced to five years in prison?
Joseph James O’Conner, known online as PlugwalkJoe, was sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in the 2020 Twitter hack.
What crimes did Joseph James O’Conner commit?
O’Conner was involved in numerous cyber crimes, including a SIM-swapping attack on a TikTok account with millions of followers. He was a key player in the 2020 Twitter hack, which resulted in unauthorized access to accounts of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and over 100 other high-profile users. He also engaged in a cryptocurrency scam, netting $794,000.
What was the outcome of the cryptocurrency scam?
O’Conner and his co-perpetrators laundered the stolen cryptocurrency through dozens of transactions and exchanges. Some of it was exchanged for Bitcoin using cryptocurrency exchange services. A portion of the stolen cryptocurrency ended up in an account controlled by O’Connor.
Who was the alleged mastermind behind the Twitter hack?
Graham Ivan Clark, a teenager at the time, was the alleged mastermind behind the Twitter breach. In 2021, Clark plead guilty and received a three-year prison sentence.
What is the punishment for O’Conner besides the prison term?
In addition to his five-year sentence, O’Conner is also subject to three years of supervised release after his prison term. He must also forfeit the $794,000 he defrauded during the hack.
More about Twitter Hack 2020
- 2020 Twitter Hack
- Cryptocurrency Scams
- Cybercrimes and their Punishments
- SIM-swapping Attacks
- Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Exchange Services
- Cybercrime and Money Laundering
6 comments
This kind of news makes it harder for legit crypto traders like us, all these scams just tarnish the whole field.
anyone else getting more concerned about online security? I mean if Elon and Obama can get hacked, who’s safe really?
Always knew this PlugwalkJoe dude was shady. But laundering the money through bitcoin…smart move, gotta admit.
remember when elons account tweeted about this bitcoin giveaway? thought it was weird… turns out it was this guy smh.
Wow, five years doesn’t seem like enough time for such a big crime. dude literally messed with major profiles and stole big $$$!
Man, cybercrimes are getting scarier. first twitter, now what? Instagram? LinkedIn? Where’s the line drawn?