● Covered by 3 sources · 3 reportsMedium impact1 negative2 neutral
Former US Soldier Sentenced to 70 Months for Extorting Tech and Telecom Firms
Key points
- Cameron John Wagenius sentenced to 70 months in prison.
- Extorted 10+ tech/telecom firms between April 2023 and December 2024.
- Used SSH Brute tool to steal credentials and Telegram for planning.
- Attempted to extort over $1 million, sold data, and performed SIM-swapping.
- Wagenius leaked a government official's call records.
- Wagenius was 22 years old.
- Wagenius used the online moniker "kiberphant0m".
- Wagenius was on active duty in South Korea and at Fort Cavazos, Texas.
- Wagenius was ordered to pay nearly $295,000 in restitution.
- Wagenius pleaded guilty to wire fraud, extortion, and aggravated identity theft.
Sentence Handed Down
Cameron John Wagenius, a 21-year-old former U.S. Army soldier, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution. Wagenius, known online as 'kiberphant0m' and 'cyb3rph4nt0m', was arrested in Texas in December 2024.
Guilty Pleas and Charges
Wagenius pleaded guilty in February 2025 to hacking AT&T and Verizon, facing charges for unlawfully transferring confidential phone records. In July 2025, he pleaded guilty to multiple counts including aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and extortion related to computer fraud.
Hacking Methodology and Extortion
While on active duty, Wagenius and his accomplices used an SSH Brute hacking tool, which he helped develop, to steal login credentials from victim networks. They utilized Telegram for transferring stolen credentials and coordinating attacks. The group extorted organizations by threatening to post stolen data on cybercrime forums like BreachForums and XSS.is, and by offering to sell the data for thousands of dollars. They successfully sold some data and used it for further frauds, including SIM-swapping. The total attempted extortion from victim data owners exceeded $1 million.
Accomplices and Related Incidents
Two accomplices, Connor Riley Moucka and John Erin Binns, were accused in November 2024 of breaching over 165 organizations via Snowflake cloud storage services, stealing terabytes of data, and demanding ransoms. Moucka was arrested in Canada in October 2024 and pleaded guilty in August 2026 to his role in the Snowflake hacking campaign. Data breaches linked to these Snowflake attacks affected hundreds of millions of people, including customers of AT&T, Ticketmaster, Santander, and Los Angeles Unified.
Updates
- Wagenius leaked a government official's call records.
- Wagenius was 22 years old.
- Wagenius used the online moniker "kiberphant0m".
- Wagenius was on active duty in South Korea and at Fort Cavazos, Texas.
- Wagenius was ordered to pay nearly $295,000 in restitution.
- Wagenius pleaded guilty to wire fraud, extortion, and aggravated identity theft.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Primary sources
CVE CVE-2026-656608.8 HIGHHow outlets covered it
A former U.S. Army soldier, Cameron John Wagenius, received a 70-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay nearly $295,000 in restitution for hacking telecommunications companies and attempting extortion. Wagenius, who worked with other hackers, stole sensitive call records and sought ransoms, even attempting to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service. This case highlights the severe consequences for individuals who exploit their positions or technical skills for cybercrime, particularly when targeting critical infrastructure and sensitive data.
A former US Army soldier received a 70-month prison sentence for hacking AT&T and Verizon systems, leaking a government official's call records, and engaging in data extortion. The individual, Cameron John Wagenius, conspired with others to defraud organizations by exfiltrating data and threatening to publish it, attempting to extort at least $1 million.
A former U.S. Army soldier received a 70-month prison sentence for hacking and extorting at least 10 U.S. technology and telecommunications companies. He and accomplices stole login credentials, extorted companies for over $1 million, and sold stolen data, impacting sensitive customer records and leading to SIM-swapping fraud.