Pierluigi Paganini
December 27, 2024
The U.S. government has charged the Brazilian citizen Junior Barros De Oliveira, 29, with allegedly threatening to release data stolen from a company during a March 2020 security breach.
De Oliveira was charged with four counts of extortionate threats involving information obtained from protected computers in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1030(a)(7)(B) and four counts of threatening communications in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d) in an indictment unsealed today in Newark federal court.
“A citizen and resident of Brazil was charged with making extortionate threats to publicize data stolen from the Brazilian subsidiary of a New Jersey company, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.” reads the press release published by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ).
In March 2020, the man breached the systems of a Brazilian subsidiary of a New Jersey company and stole data on 300,000 customers. By September 2020, he demanded $3 million worth of Bitcoin from U.S. executives, including the CEO, threatening to leak the stolen data.
“JUNIOR BARROS DE OLIVEIRA gained unauthorized access and exceeded authorized access to protected computers of Victim 1-Brazil and obtained, without authorization, confidential customer information from more than 100,000 customers of Victim 1-Brazil.” reads the indictment.
The four extortion counts carry up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine each, while the four threat counts carry up to 2 years and the same fine, or twice the value of any gain or loss.
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