Founder of major hacker forum BreachForums resentenced to three years in prison
Alexandria, VA – A New York man who created and operated one of the world’s largest online marketplaces for stolen data has been resentenced to three years in prison, following a ruling by a federal appeals court that overturned his earlier time-served sentence.
Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, 22, of Peekskill, New York, admitted to founding BreachForums in March 2022, just weeks after law enforcement shut down the notorious RaidForums. Prosecutors said the site quickly became one of the most popular English-language hacking forums in the world, attracting over 330,000 members who trafficked in stolen personal and financial data.
According to court filings, BreachForums offered at least 888 datasets of hacked information containing more than 14 billion records of personal identifying information, including Social Security numbers, bank account details, usernames, and passwords. One database listed information on 200 million users of a major U.S.-based social networking site. Another exposed the details of nearly 88,000 members of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and private companies focused on critical infrastructure security.
Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to conspiracy and solicitation involving access devices, as well as possession of child sexual abuse material. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit over 100 domain names, more than a dozen electronic devices, and cryptocurrency tied to the scheme.
His original sentence of time served—just 17 days in custody—was vacated in January by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which sent the case back for resentencing. On Monday, he was ordered to serve three years in federal prison.
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The FBI’s Washington Field Office led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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Key Points
- Conor Fitzpatrick, founder of BreachForums, resentenced to three years in prison
- Site hosted more than 14 billion stolen records and replaced RaidForums after its shutdown
- Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to conspiracy, solicitation, and possession of child sexual abuse material