Two British teenagers accused of offenses under the Computer Misuse Act in connection with a cyberattack on Transport for London (TfL) formally denied the charges in court. Thalha Jubair, 19, also known by aliases like EarthtoStar and Brad, and Owen Flowers, 18, were arrested at their homes in East London and Walsall by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in September of last year. Appearing at Southwark Crown Court, the two young men stood together in the dock to confirm their identities and enter their pleas of not guilty to the charges of conspiring together to commit unauthorized acts against the major London transport body.
Jubair and Flowers are allegedly linked to the notorious Scattered Spider hacking group, which has been involved in high-profile network intrusions. Their arrests followed the August 2024 cyberattack that targeted TfL, the local government body responsible for managing the vast majority of London’s transport network. The specific charge they both face in the UK is conspiring together to commit unauthorized acts against TfL, a serious offense under UK law that addresses computer-related crimes.
The charges against the pair extend beyond the domestic attack on TfL. On September 6, 2024, UK authorities initially charged Flowers with conspiring to attack US healthcare networks. Similarly, Jubair was charged with conspiring to infiltrate and damage the networks of SSM Health Care Corporation and attempting the same against Sutter Health’s networks, both of which are based in the United States. Evidence recovered after Flowers’ arrest reportedly links him to alleged attacks on US healthcare entities.
The severity of the charges against Jubair in the US is substantial. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that he faces separate charges in New Jersey for conspiracies related to computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. These US charges are tied to at least 120 network intrusions and extortion schemes targeting 47 US entities, where victims reportedly paid over $115 million in ransom. Jubair is alleged to have collaborated with the Scattered Spider group in executing these sophisticated attacks, which disrupted businesses, critical infrastructure, and even federal courts.
Flowers and Jubair face some of the most serious cybercrime prosecutions under English law, specifically conspiracy to commit unauthorized computer acts, which carries the potential for life imprisonment due to the risk of serious harm. Despite the weight of both the domestic and international allegations, both teenagers have maintained their innocence, pleading not guilty to all charges brought against them in the UK court.
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