https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-arrested-connection-alleged-role-twitter-hack

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Justice News

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Man Arrested in Connection with Alleged Role in Twitter Hack

A citizen of the United Kingdom was arrested today in Estepona,
Spain, by Spanish National Police pursuant to a U.S. request for his
arrest on multiple charges in connection with the July 2020 hack of
Twitter that resulted in the compromise of over 130 Twitter accounts,
including those belonging to politicians, celebrities and companies.

Joseph O'Connor, 22, is charged by criminal complaint filed in the
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

According to court documents, in addition to the July 15, 2020, hack
of Twitter, O'Connor is charged with computer intrusions related to
takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts. O'Connor is also
charged with cyberstalking a juvenile victim.

O'Connor is charged with three counts of conspiracy to intentionally
access a computer without authorization and obtaining information
from a protected computer; two counts of intentionally accessing a
computer without authorization and obtaining information from a
protected computer; one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a
computer without authorization and, with the intent to extort from a
person a thing of value, transmitting a communication containing a
threat; one count of making extortive communications; one count of
making threatening communications; and two counts of cyberstalking.
If O'Connor is convicted, a federal district court judge will
determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing
Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice
Department's Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds
for the Northern District of California and Special Agent in Charge
Craig D. Fair of the FBI San Francisco Field Office made the
announcement.

The FBI San Francisco Division is investigating the case, with
assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cyber Unit; the U.S.
Secret Service, San Francisco and Headquarters; and the Santa Clara
County Sheriff's Office and its REACT task force.

Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division's
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S.
Attorneys William Frentzen and Andrew Dawson of the U.S. Attorney's
Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the
case.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs is providing
significant assistance. The U.K.'s National Crime Agency and the
Spanish National Police provided assistance in the investigation and
arrest.

The allegations of a criminal complaint are merely an allegation, and
all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Topic(s): 
Cyber Crime
Component(s): 
Criminal Division
Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
USAO - California, Northern
Press Release Number: 
21-676
Updated July 21, 2021
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