Jonathan Powell, Computer Hacking, New York 2016

A hard-hitting crime journalist for Grimy Times has uncovered a shocking tale of cybercrime, perpetrated by none other than Jonathan Powell, a private business employee from Phoenix, Arizona.

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Powell obtained unauthorized access to email accounts maintained by a New York City area university using his work computer, causing over $5,000 in loss. Powell compromised social media and other online accounts linked to the university email accounts, mining those linked accounts for users’ login credentials and other private and confidential information.

At the time of the alleged offense, Powell was employed by a private business at its branch office located in Phoenix, Arizona. Powell was arrested this morning and is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Phoenix later today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, ‘As alleged, Jonathan Powell targeted dozens of universities around the country, successfully hacking into student email accounts hosted on at least two universities’ servers and accessing the social media, email, and other online accounts of many of those students. Powell allegedly stole students’ personal information and searched their photos for potentially embarrassing content.’

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. added, ‘Sitting at a computer more than 2,000 miles away, Jonathan Powell allegedly attempted unauthorized access to more than 2,000 university email accounts. Powell used password reset tools to basically pick the lock of thousands of personal spaces and look around at what was stored there.’

According to the allegations, from at least in or about October 2015 up to and including at least in or about September 2016, Powell obtained unauthorized access to email accounts hosted by at least two United States-based educational institutions, including one which has its primary campus in New York, New York (‘University-1’).

Powell utilized the password reset utilities to change the email account passwords of students and others affiliated with those educational institutions. Once Powell gained access to the compromised email accounts (the ‘Compromised Accounts’), he obtained unauthorized access to other password-protected email, social media, and online accounts to which the Compromised Accounts were registered.

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