Cyber Thugs Busted: ViLE Hackers Get What’s Coming to Them

Cyber Thugs Busted: ViLE Hackers Get What’s Coming to Them

Two men, Sagar Steven Singh and Nicholas Ceraolo, have pleaded guilty to computer intrusion and aggravated identity theft for hacking into a federal law enforcement web portal, leaving victims shaken and demanding justice.

According to court documents, Singh, 30, of Queens, New York, and Ceraolo, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, were part of a group called “ViLE,” a notorious cybercrime gang that sought to exploit vulnerabilities within government databases for their own personal gain.

As part of their scheme, Singh and Ceraolo unlawfully used a law enforcement officer’s stolen password to access a nonpublic, password-protected online portal maintained by a U.S. federal law enforcement agency. The purpose of the Portal was to share intelligence from government databases with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Using their newfound access, Singh and Ceraolo began to collect victims’ personal information, including social security numbers, and threatened to publicly release the information unless their victims paid them off. One victim, referred to as Victim-1, was told by Singh that he would “harm” Victim-1’s family unless Victim-1 handed over the credentials for Victim-1’s Instagram accounts.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Dorado Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York Police Department for their assistance in the case. “The defendants called themselves ‘ViLE,’ and their actions were exactly that,” Peace stated. “They hacked into a law enforcement database and had access to sensitive personal information, then threatened to harm a victim’s family and publicly release that information unless the defendants were ultimately paid money.”

HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Ivan J. Arvelo added, “The defendants, along with their co-conspirators, exploited vulnerabilities within government databases for their own personal gain. These guilty pleas send a strong message to those that would seek illicit access to protected computer systems.”

Singh and Ceraolo’s guilty pleas mark a significant victory for law enforcement, and serve as a warning to other cybercrime gangs that they will be held accountable for their actions. The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security Section and the Department’s Cybercrime Section.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to uncover evidence and bring the remaining members of ViLE to justice. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.

ViLE’s logo features the body of a hanging girl, a disturbing image that reflects the group’s cruel and ruthless tactics. The group’s members sought to collect victims’ personal information, including social security numbers, and threatened to publicly release the information unless their victims paid them off.

With the guilty pleas of Singh and Ceraolo, the public can rest a little easier knowing that justice is being served. But the fight against cybercrime is far from over, and law enforcement will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims and bring perpetrators to justice.