2017-02-23 DOJ SDNY press_release 119 KB 5,723 chars

Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Gain Unauthorized Access And Cause Damage To The Computer Network Of A Global Charitable Organization

Caption: United States v. Timothy Sedlak

summary

Timothy Sedlak, a 43-year-old Florida man, pleaded guilty to making nearly 400,000 unauthorized brute-force login attempts against a New York-based charitable organization’s computer network, disrupting employee access and facing up to five years in prison after authorities found password-cracking tools and jihadist-related notes at his residence.

paragraph

Timothy Sedlak pled guilty to attempting to gain unauthorized access to the computer network of a global charitable organization in New York, making approximately 400,000 login attempts across 26 email accounts between June and July 2015, which impaired operations for over 10 employees. Authorities seized 30 computers at his Florida residence containing a brute-force password-cracking tool, lists of employee email addresses, and handwritten notes referencing executives and terms like 'jihad,' despite his claim of conducting private investigator research. He faces a maximum of five years in prison and three years of supervised release, with sentencing scheduled for June 6, 2017, after being charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

narrative

Timothy Sedlak, a 43-year-old resident of Ocoee, Florida, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to attempting to gain unauthorized access to the computer network of a global charitable organization based in New York. Between June and July 2015, computers linked to his home IP addresses made nearly 400,000 brute-force login attempts targeting 26 employee email accounts, causing significant disruptions to the organization’s email and web-based services. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence on September 11, 2015, seizing 30 interconnected computers, a password-cracking tool, lists of employee usernames, and handwritten notes containing email addresses, domain information, and references to 'jihad' related to organization executives. Sedlak claimed he was conducting private investigator research to uncover potential jihadist funding through charities and intended to sell his findings, but he had no employment or authorization to access the organization’s systems. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case, and the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit prosecuted it. Sedlak’s actions violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and although his attack was ultimately unsuccessful, the scale and intent of the intrusion were deemed serious. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6, 2017, and faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Enriched metadata

Scheme: cyber-fraud (100%)
Court: Southern District of New York
Outcome: pleaded

Classified cyber-fraud(confidence 100%). No EDGAR filing fingerprint (criminal/DOJ-side scheme). detection rule →

Extracted insights

Entities 4

person one ip address
person Preet Bharara
person Ronnie Abrams
person timothy sedlak

Triples 12

Timothy Sedlak pled guilty to attempting unauthorized access to computer network of global charitable organization
Timothy Sedlak made hundreds of thousands of unauthorized access attempts
Timothy Sedlak caused damage to computers of global charitable organization
Preet Bharara announced guilty plea of Timothy Sedlak
Timothy Sedlak subscribed to two internet protocol addresses at Florida residence
Two IP Addresses made nearly 400,000 unauthorized access attempts from June 2015 to July 2015
One IP Address made approximately 195,000 login attempts to 20 email accounts between June 22 and July 8, 2015
Other IP Address made approximately 195,000 login attempts to 6 email accounts between July 8 and July 10, 2015
USSS executed search warrant at Sedlak Residence on September 11, 2015
USSS seized approximately 30 computers and notes pertaining to Organization
Timothy Sedlak impaired email accounts and web-based applications of more than 10 employees
Ronnie Abrams presided over guilty plea of Timothy Sedlak in Manhattan federal court

View original DOJ press releasejustice.gov

Extracted body text (5,723c)

Press Release Florida Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Gain Unauthorized Access And Cause Damage To The Computer Network Of A Global Charitable Organization Thursday, February 23, 2017 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TIMOTHY SEDLAK pled guilty in Manhattan federal court to attempting to access without authorization the computer network of a global charitable organization based in New York, New York (the “Organization”), and as a result of such conduct, recklessly causing damage to computers of the Organization. He pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Although ultimately unsuccessful, Timothy Sedlak attempted hundreds of thousands of times to hack into a charitable organization, impairing the organization’s work. Today, Sedlak admitted to his crime and now awaits his sentence.” According to the Superseding Information, other documents filed in Manhattan federal court, and statements made at various proceedings in this case, including today’s guilty plea: SEDLAK made hundreds of thousands of attempts to gain access without authorization to the computer network systems of the Organization, and in so doing, impaired the availability of the email accounts and web-based applications of more than 10 employees of the Organization. From in or about June 2015, up to and including in or about July 2015, computers associated with two particular internet protocol addresses (the “IP Addresses”) made nearly 400,000 attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Organization’s computer network. As a result, numerous Organization employees experienced difficulty accessing their Organization email accounts, and were disrupted in their ability to conduct regular business functions. Both of the IP Addresses were subscribed to SEDLAK at SEDLAK’s residence in Florida (the “Sedlak Residence”). In particular, between June 22, 2015, and July 8, 2015, from one of the IP Addresses, there were approximately 195,000 attempts to log into approximately 20 email accounts of the Organization. Between July 8, 2015, and July 10, 2015, from the other IP Address, there were an additional approximately 195,000 attempts to log into approximately six email accounts of the Organization. SEDLAK has never been employed by the Organization, and was not authorized to access any email accounts of the Organization. On or about September 11, 2015, United States Secret Service (“USSS”) agents executed a search warrant at the Sedlak Residence, from which they seized, among other things, (i) approximately 30 computers connected to the same internal network, which enabled each computer to communicate with the others (the “Sedlak Computers”); (ii) notes pertaining to the Organization, an executive of the Organization (“Individual-1”), and an individual who has been publicly affiliated with the Organization (“Individual-2”), including email addresses, registrant information for certain website domain names, and certain IP address information associated with the Organization, Individual-1, and/or Individual-2; and (iii) lists of email addresses and email servers, many of which included the word “jihad.” The Sedlak Computers contained, among other things, a list of certain Organization employees’ email account usernames, and a “brute force” password-cracking tool. Such a tool is designed to launch a relentless barrage of potential passwords at an email account in an attempt to guess the account’s password. On or about September 11, 2015, USSS agents interviewed SEDLAK, who claimed to be using the Sedlak Computers to conduct “research” into charitable organizations in the course of his work as a private investigator. In particular, SEDLAK claimed to be trying to determine if such organizations are unintentionally financing jihadist groups by sending, to charitable organizations in the Middle East, funds that are then seized by jihadist groups. When asked about notes pertaining to Individual-1 and Individual-2 found at the Sedlak Residence, SEDLAK claimed that he came across such information in his “research” into the financing of jihadist groups. SEDLAK claimed that he hoped to sell the information he found. * * * SEDLAK, 43, of Ocoee, Florida, faces a maximum of five years in prison and three years of supervised release. The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. SEDLAK is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Abrams on June 6, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the United States Secret Service. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristy J. Greenberg and Jennifer L. Beidel are in charge of the prosecution. Updated February 23, 2017 Topic Cybercrime Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 17-060

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