Alonzo Knowles Gets 5 Years for Celeb Email Hack Scheme

Bahamas national Alonzo Knowles, a/k/a “Jeff Moxey,” was sentenced to five years in federal prison for a brazen cyber hacking operation that targeted the private emails of entertainment and sports figures. Knowles, who never set foot in the U.S. before his arrest, infiltrated accounts to steal unreleased movie and television scripts, Social Security numbers, and explicit personal media—all obtained without victims’ knowledge. The Southern District of New York brought the case after a two-week undercover sting culminated in a face-to-face meet with a law enforcement agent in Manhattan.

On May 9, 2016, Knowles pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who handed down the five-year sentence. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara didn’t mince words: “Alonzo Knowles hacked into the private emails of entertainment and sports celebrities, stole personal information and property, including unreleased movie and television scripts, and attempted to sell them to the highest bidder.” Bharara called the breach a “frightful violation of privacy” deserving of serious punishment.

The hacking scheme unfolded in December 2015, when Knowles began communicating with an undercover federal agent, boasting about “exclusive content” worth “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” He claimed direct access to the accounts of roughly 130 individuals across Hollywood and professional sports. On December 21, 2015, he met the agent in New York, pitching stolen scripts and personal data in exchange for thousands of dollars—walking straight into a federal trap.

Knowles detailed two hacking methods during the meeting: one involving malware sent to victims’ computers, the other a phishing tactic where he posed as a security official, tricking victims into surrendering their passwords. Once inside an account, he changed settings to maintain access and deleted system alerts to avoid detection. The stolen material included unreleased creative works—protected under copyright law—and highly sensitive personal data, including nude photos and videos.

Investigators never found the primary laptop Knowles used—the one he left behind in the Bahamas. He admitted it contained even more hacked content from celebrities and claimed he intended to sell it after serving time. In prison correspondence, Knowles shockingly offered to serve additional time just to keep the device out of authorities’ hands. Judge Engelmayer responded with a Consent Preliminary Order of Forfeiture, compelling Knowles to hand over a laptop to a court-appointed receiver for forensic review.

The case underscores the growing threat of offshore cybercriminals targeting American celebrities and intellectual property. Knowles’ conviction sends a message: even from abroad, hacking into private lives for profit will land you in a U.S. federal prison—for five long years.