Timothy Justen French, Cyber-Attack, Illinois 2023

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Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years for Involvement in Notorious Hacking Group

CHICAGO — Timothy Justen French, a 22-year-old man from Morristown, Tennessee, has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for his role in a series of cyber-attacks carried out by the hacking group ‘NullCrew.’

French exploited computer vulnerabilities to obtain unauthorized access and steal confidential information, including encrypted personal data of thousands of individuals. His cyber-attacks caused at least $792,000 in monetary loss to victim companies, universities, and governmental bodies.

As a member of NullCrew, French used Twitter accounts to publicly disclose the confidential information he had stolen, ridiculing his victims in the process. He hid his true identity by using Internet aliases, including ‘Orbit,’ ‘@Orbit_g1rl,’ ‘crysis,’ ‘rootcrysis,’ and ‘c0rps3.’

French participated in at least seven cyber-attacks while a member of NullCrew from 2012 to 2014. One of the attacks targeted a large Canadian telecommunications company, while another attack targeted a U.S. state.

U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman imposed the 45-month sentence in federal court in Chicago. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Ridgway argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum that French played a central role in a deliberate and destructive hacking campaign that inflicted widespread harm to businesses, governments, non-profits, and thousands of individuals.

The government is represented by Mr. Ridgway. Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced the sentencing.

French pleaded guilty last year to one count of intentionally damaging a protected computer without authorization. His involvement in NullCrew and the cyber-attacks he participated in have left a lasting impact on the victims of his crimes.