Tag: Cybercrime
James Robert Smith, Child Abuse, California 2020
⏱ 3 min read In a bid to protect children from the darker side of the internet, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts is hosting a virtual webinar on May 7, 2026, at 6:30 PM (EST). The event, titled ‘Keeping Kids Safe and Secure Online’, will feature presentations from experts at…
Dread Pirate Roberts, Money Laundering, California 2013
⏱ 2 min read A Colombian kingpin is facing the heat after being extradited to the US for masterminding a massive dark web marketplace that raked in millions from illicit deals. Patrick Schmitz, 37, lived in Taganga, Colombia, but was born in Germany. The Versus Project, also known as Versus, was a top-tier dark web…
Matthew Bathula, Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer, Maryland 2016
⏱ 2 min read A pharmacy insider allegedly spent eight years secretly spying on nearly 200 people, including co-workers and patients, through a Maryland medical system’s computers. Matthew Bathula, 41, of Clarksville, used various cyber intrusion techniques to obtain victims’ usernames, passwords, cookies, images, videos, and other data between July 2016 and September 2024. The…
Robert Levinson, Money Laundering, Nevada 2020
⏱ 2 min read Las Vegas, NV – A ruthless cryptocurrency cartel laundered millions, but the feds are cracking down. The Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force hosted a panel discussion on cryptocurrency-related crimes, featuring federal and local law enforcement partners. Panelists discussed trends in cryptocurrency-related crimes, tools used to investigate these cases, and the…
Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Ohio 2023
⏱ 3 min read A brazen international email hacking scheme cooked up in Toledo has been brought to justice. Two men and one woman, Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, Aruan Drake, and Peter Reed, were convicted of involvement in the massive $215 million scam that targeted over 1,000 victims across 47 states and 19 countries. The scheme,…
Teen Charged in Swatting Spree Targeting Eastern PA Universities
⏱ 2 min read A rash of swatting calls aimed at universities in Eastern Pennsylvania and elsewhere in August 2025 has led to federal charges against a 17-year-old member of the online cybercriminal group ‘Purgatory.’ Prosecutors say the defendant randomly selected the victim institutions, which included universities in PA, and was not affiliated with any…
Xu Zewei, State-Sponsored Hacking, Texas 2020
⏱ 3 min read A brazen state-sponsored hacker, Xu Zewei, 34, has finally been extradited to Houston to face nine-count charges for his alleged role in a massive computer intrusion campaign. The Chinese national’s hacking spree targeted thousands of computers worldwide, including US institutions, between February 2020 and June 2021. The HAFNIUM intrusion campaign, which…
Kyle David Dudick, Child Exploitation, Alabama 2025
⏱ 2 min read A Florida predator is behind bars after allegedly producing and distributing child pornography in Alabama. Kyle David Dudick, 36, of Royal Palm Beach, is charged with four counts of child exploitation. The incidents reportedly occurred in August 2025 in Jefferson County. Dudick was arrested on April 16, 2026, in South Carolina.…
Adrienne Rosse, Cyberstalking, Tennessee 2026
⏱ 2 min read A Tennessee woman is behind bars for a vicious cyberstalking campaign against a prosecutor who dared to pursue her husband for rape. Adrienne Rosse, 37, of Arlington, mailed anonymous letters and explicit photos to the Tennessee Attorney General, local news reporters, and even defense attorneys. The harassment was a cry for…
Alexander Vinnik, Virtual Currency Theft, New York 2017
⏱ 2 min read A brazen UK hacker, Tyler Robert Buchanan, 24, has pleaded guilty to stealing at least $8 million in virtual currency from US companies via phishing attacks. Buchanan, a resident of Dundee, Scotland, hacked into the computer systems of at least a dozen companies via text message phishing attacks. Between September 2021…
