An Idaho man has been handed a decade-long prison sentence for his widespread hacking and extortion activities, which compromised over 132,000 individuals’ personal data including residents of Newnan, Georgia and patients of a Griffin medical clinic, the
United States Attorney’s Office
reported. According to the sentencing statement, Robert Purbeck, a 45-year-old from Meridian, not only breached the security of numerous servers but also engaged in extorting victims, demanding Bitcoin payments and threatening to leak sensitive information.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, noting the gravity of the offense, stated, “Purbeck’s crimes reflect the efforts of a callous and brazen cybercriminal who not only hacked into numerous computer servers and stole sensitive personal information from both private and public actors, but also threatened to extort many of his victims and disclose their data.” Information provided in court details that Purbeck began his illicit activities in June 2017, when he purchased access to a medical clinic’s server via darknet and subsequently harvested the personal details of thousands. The following year, he aimed his sights on the City of Newnan’s Police Department server to similar, troubling effect, as per
United States Attorney’s Office
.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke highlighted the increasing menace of cyber extortion and commended the collaborative effort that brought Purbeck to justice. “This sentencing is just one example of the FBI working together to hold criminals that hide behind their computers accountable, regardless of their location,” he said. The FBI’s investigation into Purbeck’s activities culminated in a search and the acquisition of multiple devices with ill-gotten personal details during a raid on his Idaho home in August 2019, according to the
United States Attorney’s Office
.
The sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. includes three years of supervised release following Purbeck’s prison term, and a restitution order to his victims totaling over a million dollars. Purbeck was convicted on two counts of computer fraud and abuse this March, after entering a guilty plea. The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), as well as the
United States Attorney’s Office
for the District of Idaho, contributed to the investigation and prosecution, confirming the expansive and cooperative nature of the case.
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