- The U.S. Department of Justice resentenced the former administrator of BreachForums to three years in prison.
- Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, also known as Pompompurin, pleaded guilty to charges related to running the cybercrime forum and possession of child sexual abuse material.
- Fitzpatrick must forfeit more than 100 domain names, various electronic devices, and cryptocurrency linked to the forum’s illegal activities.
- BreachForums operated as a platform for buying and selling stolen data and amassed about 330,000 members and 14 billion records before law enforcement actions.
- The site has reappeared multiple times despite shutdowns, but its latest iteration and similar cybercrime groups have recently gone offline.
Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, formerly the administrator of the illegal online platform BreachForums, received a three-year prison sentence on Tuesday according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The sentencing took place after Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to operating the forum, which facilitated cybercrime and involved the possession of child sexual abuse material.
Fitzpatrick, age 22 and from Peekskill, New York, admitted guilt to access device conspiracy, access device solicitation, and possession of illicit material. Prosecutors stated that as part of his plea agreement, he will give up over 100 domains, multiple electronic devices used in the operation, and cryptocurrency traced to the activity. The forum enabled the selling of stolen sensitive information from companies and individuals.
U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert said, “Conor Fitzpatrick personally profited from the sale of vast quantities of stolen information, ranging from private personal information to commercial data. These crimes were so extensive that the damage is difficult to quantify, and the human cost of his collection of child sexual abuse material is incalculable. We will not allow criminals to hide in the darkest corners of the internet and will use all legal means to bring them to justice.”
The new sentence follows a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which vacated Fitzpatrick’s previous sentence of 17 days served and ordered a resentencing. Fitzpatrick was previously assigned time served and 20 years of supervised release in January 2024 for his role in establishing and running the forum.
Launched in March 2022 after law enforcement brought down RaidForums, BreachForums operated as a criminal marketplace for stolen data. At its peak, it had about 330,000 users and contained over 14 billion unique records.
Authorities repeatedly tried to dismantle the marketplace, but it resurfaced under new domains several times. In July 2024, the entire database from the original BreachForums leaked online, exposing member details. Last month, the group ShinyHunters reported that law enforcement agencies had compromised the forum, and the latest version at breachforums.hn has since gone offline. The group stated they and 14 other e-crime groups, including LAPSUS$ and Scattered Spider, have “decided to go dark.”
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