Cameron John Wagenius, a U.S. Army soldier, recently pleaded guilty to hacking major telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon. The hacker gained unauthorized access to sensitive phone records and illegally transferred the stolen information via an online forum and communications platform. This guilty plea involves two counts of “unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information,” with each count carrying a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
Wagenius was arrested and indicted last year, and his case is linked to a wider investigation involving other hackers, including Connor Moucka and John Binns. Both individuals were involved in significant data breaches in 2024, particularly affecting the cloud computing company Snowflake. These breaches are among the most severe hacking incidents of the year, prompting extensive government attention.
U.S. prosecutors have confirmed that the breaches involving AT&T and Verizon were connected to a computer intrusion and extortion scheme that also included the Snowflake breaches. U.S. attorney Tessa Gorman explained that both the breaches of AT&T and Verizon share overlapping evidentiary materials, further establishing the link between Wagenius’ actions and the broader hacker group. This association places him at the center of multiple high-profile cybercrimes.
The case underscores the growing threat posed by cybercriminals targeting major corporations and cloud services. With the severity of the penalties Wagenius faces, it highlights the risks hackers take when attempting to exploit confidential data for personal or financial gain. The outcome of the case is expected to send a strong message about the legal consequences of unauthorized data access and theft.
