Overview

• Wagenius admitted that between April 2023 and December 2024 he and co-conspirators breached at least ten telecommunications firms’ networks using SSH Brute attacks and coordinated via Telegram group chats.
• He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft, with a sentencing date set for October 6.
• Prosecutors say the group threatened to post or sell stolen call records on cybercrime forums like BreachForums and XSS.is while seeking more than $1 million in ransom payments.
• The hacking took place while Wagenius was on active duty at Fort Cavazos, exploiting his insider position to access sensitive customer data.
• The investigation was led by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division with support from the FBI, DoD’s DCIS and the Army CID in one of the largest telecom extortion cases to date.