A 21-Yr-Old Swiss Engineer Charged with Conspiracy, Wire Fraud In US
A prolific Swiss computer hacker, Till Kottmann, 21, was indicted by a grand jury in the Western District of Washington for computer intrusion and identity and data theft activities spanning 2019 to the present. KOTTMANN, aka “deletescape” and “tillie crimew,” who initially was charged in September 2020, remains in Lucerne, Switzerland, and has received notice of pending U.S. charges.
Since 2019, Kottmann and co-conspirators have hacked dozens of companies and government entities and posted the private victim data of more than 100 entities on the web.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that Kottmann used a variety of hacking techniques and predominantly targeted “git” and other source code repositories belonging to private companies and public sector entities. Kottmann cloned the source code, files, and other confidential and proprietary information, which at times included hard-coded administrative credentials, access keys, and other means of further system or network access. Kottmann then used such means of access to further infiltrate the internal infrastructure of victims and copy additional files, records, and information.
Kottmann then published, or “leaked,” victim data obtained through the actors’ and others’ hacking conduct. The FBI recently seized a website domain operated by Kottmann and used by Kottmann’s group to publish hacked data. In order to recruit others, grow the scheme, and further promote the hacking activity and Kottmann’s own reputation in the hacking community, Kottmann actively communicated with journalists and over social media about computer intrusions and data theft.
Conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum 24 months in prison to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on other counts of conviction.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Masada and Jehiel Baer with assistance from DOJ’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), as well as Canton of Luzerne Police, the Canton of Luzerne Prosecutor's Office, and the Swiss Federal Office of Justice.
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