Manhattan federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a man with hacking into email accounts and stealing popular television and movie scripts, a sex tape of at least one celebrity and private information from others.
The 23-year-old then tried to sell the scripts, video, pictures, social security numbers and other stolen data to an undercover federal agent, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan.
The complaint didn’t name any of the celebrities or television shows and movies at issue. A spokesman for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s office declined to comment further.
The alleged hacker, Alonzo Knowles, was scheduled to appear in court late Tuesday. A defense lawyer couldn’t be immediately identified.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation rapidly unfolded this December after Mr. Knowles contacted a “popular radio host” offering in an email to sell the person scripts from a coming season of a popular drama television series airing on a “premium cable and satellite television network.”
The radio host contacted an executive producer at the network, which then contacted the Department of Homeland Security’s investigations unit. The radio host subsequently connected Mr. Knowles, who also called himself “ Jeff Moxey,” with an undercover agent.
Throughout a series communications over the past month, Mr. Knowles produced television scripts, movie scripts and a sex tape and photos of a television host to the undercover agent to prove he had the goods, according to the complaint. Mr. Knowles also allegedly sent the social security numbers for several professional athletes.
On a FaceTime call with the agent on Dec. 11, Mr. Knowles allegedly said he could get other sex tapes and showed a list of the names of around 130 celebrities and said he had obtained their phone numbers and contact information.
Mr. Knowles said he would hack into the phones or email accounts of celebrities or their friends to gain access to their private information, according to the complaint.
Mr. Knowles, who lives in the Bahamas, ultimately agreed to fly to New York to meet the agent in the U.S. to hand over some of the stolen data and receive payment, according to the complaint.
He disclosed his date of birth, passport number and MoneyGram account so that the agent, posing as a buyer, could make travel arrangements on his behalf, the complaint said.
On Monday, Mr. Knowles met the undercover agent who handed him $80,000 in cash for the scripts. After Mr. Knowles took the money, the agent arrested him.
Source: Wall Street Journal
No comments:
Post a Comment