US judge sentences British national to 5 years in prison for hacking

A US judge has sentenced a British national to five year in prison for his role in a computer hacking collective known as “The Dark Overlord”. Nathan Wyatt, who has pleaded guilty for conspiring to commit aggravated identity theft and computer fraud, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the Eastern District of Missouri in December 2019.

U.S. District Judge Ronnie White for the Eastern District of Missouri sentenced Wyatt to five years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $1,467,048 in restitution. According to the US Department of Justice, the 39-year-old British national has admitted being the member of the hacking group responsible for remotely accessing the computer networks of multiple US companies in an authorised manner. 

The Dark Overlord obtained sensitive data from victim companies and threatening to release the stolen data unless the companies paid a ransom of between $75,000 and $350,000 in bitcoin. Wyatt has admitted that he participated in the conspiracy by creating, validating, and maintaining communication, payment, and virtual private network accounts that were used for the illegal activities. 

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Official statements

US Attorney Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri expressed gratitude to the victims who came forward despite ransom threats. Jensen also thanked the prosecutors and agents who were the first to catch and punish a member of The Dark Overlord in the United States. Brian C. Rabbitt, Acting Assistant Attorney General, said in a statement that Wyatt used his technical skills to prey on Americans’ private data and exploited the sensitive nature of their medical and financial records for his own personal gain.

“Today’s guilty plea and sentence demonstrate the department’s commitment to ensuring that hackers who seek to profit by illegally invading the privacy of Americans will be found and held accountable, no matter where they may be located,” he added.

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