US law enforcement officials have arrested a New York man in connection with running a notorious organization. violation forum Online Alias Hacking ForumPompomuri.”
The development, first reported by Bloomberg Law, comes after News 12 Westchester said earlier this week that federal agents had “spent hours in and out of the Peekskill home”.
“At one point, investigators were seen removing several bags of evidence from the house,” added the New York-based local news service.
According to an affidavit filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the suspect identified himself as Conor Brian Fitzpatrick and admitted to being the owner of the BreachForums website.
“When I arrested the defendant on March 15, 2023, he told me: a) his name was Connor Brian Fitzpatrick; c) He is the owner and administrator of ‘BreachForums,'” said FBI Special Agent John Longmire.
Fitzpatrick was charged with conspiracy to solicit individuals for the purpose of selling unauthorized access devices.
Defendant was released the next day on a bond of $300,000 signed by his parents and is scheduled to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia District Court on March 24, 2023.
In addition to being prohibited from obtaining a passport or other international travel document, Fitzpatrick may not contact co-conspirators or use drugs or other controlled substances unless prescribed by a licensed practitioner. are restricted.
BreachForums emerged last year, three weeks after organized law enforcement seized control of RaidForums in March 2022.
“In the threat actor welcome thread, ‘Pompompurin’ said it created BreachForums as an alternative to RaidForums, but ‘is not affiliated with RaidForums in any way,'” cybersecurity firm Flashpoint said at the time. rice field.
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The forum has become notorious for hosting stolen databases belonging to multiple companies, often containing sensitive personal information.
In the wake of Fitzpatrick’s arrest, another forum user named Baphomet said he had taken ownership of the website, noting there was no evidence of “accessing or modifying compromised infrastructure.” .
“My only answer is [law enforcement], or any media outlet, have no concerns for me at this time,” Baphomet said in a statement. A small fishing boat. ”
The development comes when Ukrainian cyber police announced the arrest of a 25-year-old developer who created a remote access Trojan that infected over 10,000 computers under the guise of a gaming app.
