Man Pleads Guilty to Hacking into Over 1,000 Email Accounts
A New York City University was the target of a massive email hacking scheme, with over 1,000 email accounts compromised. The perpetrator, Jonathan Powell, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with his scheme to obtain unauthorized access to email accounts.
According to the allegations, Powell, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, used a password reset utility to change the email account passwords of students and faculty at the university. He then used the compromised email accounts to access other password-protected accounts, including Apple iCloud, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Yahoo! accounts.
The investigation revealed that Powell accessed the compromised accounts at least in part to download sexually explicit photographs and videos of college-aged women. He accessed the University-1 password reset utility approximately 18,640 different times between October 2015 and September 2016, attempting approximately 18,600 password changes in connection with approximately 2,054 unique University-1 email accounts.
Powell was arrested on November 2, 2016, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2017, at 12 p.m. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, with Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim praising the investigative work of the agency.
Powell’s scheme highlights the threat of cybercrime, which can affect organizations of all sizes. The FBI was able to stop Powell before he victimized others, thanks to their swift and effective investigation.
JONATHAN POWELL, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in connection with computers, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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