Tag Archive for: sentenced

Northern District of Iowa | Man Who Possessed Child Pornography Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison

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A man who possessed over 3,500 photographs and 25 videos of child pornography was sentenced today to more than 5 years in federal prison.

Stephen Gruber, age 60, from Sumner, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022 guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

At the guilty plea, Gruber admitted he possessed child pornography on his computer between November 2016 and March 2017.

Gruber was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Gruber was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment.  He was also ordered to make restitution.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Gruber is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sumner Police Department.. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 22-cr-2054.

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Somersworth Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials | USAO-NH

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            CONCORD – Mark E. Butler, 46, of Somersworth, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.

            According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and September 2021, federal and state law enforcement officers investigated the online child sexual exploitation activities of the defendant, Mark E. Butler, who used various social media applications to share child sexual abuse materials. For example, on September 23, 2021, Butler distributed a one-minute video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in sexual conduct to an undercover agent. On October 13, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant to seize electronic devices used by Butler to distribute and possess child sexual abuse materials. Butler admitted that he used the internet to obtain child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent forensic analysis of Butler’s Apple iPhone and evidence obtained from a cloud storage service provider confirmed Butler’s use of several social media applications, emails, and text messages to send child sexual abuse materials to other individuals.

            In addition to his sentence, Butler was sentenced to five years of supervised release following his release from prison and a $6,000 restitution payment.

            “Protecting children is a paramount priority and those who engage in child exploitation will be prosecuted and we will seek significant sentences as demonstrated in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This case is another example of the collaborative work our law enforcement partners engage in to identify and prosecute those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse materials.” 

            “Butler possessed and distributed child exploitation materials and his sharing of this material perpetuates a cycle of abuse. Homeland Security Investigations and our partners will continue to pursue individuals who are involved in any part of the child exploitation cycle,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New…

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Senior living hacker sentenced to 20 years for $27 million ransomware attack – News

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Hacker,Hacker attacking internet
(Credit: krisanapong detraphiphat / Getty Images)

A Canadian man linked to an international network of ransomware attacks affecting the senior living industry during the COVID-19 pandemic has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $21.5 million.

Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins was part of the NetWalker hacker ring that extorted at least $27.6 million from dozens of businesses, healthcare providers, law enforcement and educational institutions all over the world. The Justice Department said the attacks specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.

Lorien Health Services, which provides assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services at nine locations in Maryland, was one of NetWalker’s alleged victims, as previously reported by McKnight’s Senior Living. The data breach in 2020 reportedly exposed the personal information of almost 48,000 residents. It included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and health diagnoses and treatment information.

Lorien reported the matter to the FBI, notified potentially affected residents, and hired cybersecurity experts to aid in its response to the incident.

“The defendant in this case used sophisticated technological means to exploit hundreds of victims in numerous countries at the height of an international health crisis,” U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handberg said in a statement.

Vachon-Desjardins was extradited to the United States this spring after being arrested by Canadian authorities in January 2021 in Quebec. During a search of his home, Canadian law enforcement discovered and seized $742,840 in Canadian currency and 719 Bitcoin valued at $21.8 million at the time of seizure and $14.5 milion today.

He was indicted in February 2021 on conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer and transmitting a demand in relation to damaging a protected computer. 

In February, an Ontario court judge sentenced Vachon-Desjardins to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to five counts tied to 17…

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Capital One Hacker Paige Thompson Sentenced to Probation

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A man smokes a cigarette outside a building with a capital one logo and capital one cafe logo on the side.

Capital One has been investigated by an arm of the U.S. Department of the Treasury for its allegedly lax security measures prior to the massive 2019 hack.
Photo: MARK RALSTON/AFP (Getty Images)

Paige Thompson, an ex-Amazon software engineer who stole the credit card applications, social security numbers, and bank account numbers of more than 100 million people from Capital One, costing the company at least $270 million, was sentenced to time served and just five years probation late Tuesday in a Washington court.

The 37-year-old Thompson, who also went by the online handle “Erratic,” was found guilty in June of wire fraud, unauthorized access to a computer and damaging a protected computer. The Seattle jury acquitted her of other charges including identity theft, according to the AP. Judge Robert Lasnick said prison would be especially difficult for Thompson “because of her mental health and transgender status.”

During the trial, Thompson’s attorneys argued that she never misused the personal information from the companies she hacked. The hacker’s lawyers further argued that Thompson was a white hat hacker who had been attempting to collect money from companies by pointing out vulnerabilities in their systems, according to The Seattle Times. A judge still has to decide restitution for victims of her hacks, which should be determined this December, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Capital One reached a settlement of $190 million with affected customers and was fined $80 million by the Treasury Department.

Prosecutors decried what they called a light sentencing, originally asking for Thompson to serve seven years. In a release, U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said prosecutors were “very disappointed with the court’s sentencing decision. This is not what justice looks like.” Prosecutors argued in court that Thompson did hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to both companies and individuals through hacks of not just Capital One, but 30 other companies, educational institutions, and more. Some of those other hacks involved personal data, but prosecutors stopped short of accusing Thompson of selling or sharing any of it.

Prosecutors also argued Thompson used a…

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