Twitter Hacker Who Burglarized Obama's Account Ordered To Restore IDR 90.2 Billion In Bitcoin

Joseph James O'Connor (left) hacked Barack Obma's Twitter account with other world celebrities (photo: x @AletihadEn)

JAKARTA A man convicted of Twitter hacking in 2020, who broke into accounts of prominent figures including former US President Barack Obama, has been ordered to return Bitcoin worth 4.1 million pounds (around Rp90.2), according to a British prosecutor on Monday.

Joseph James O'Connor, 26, previously pleaded guilty in the United States to a number of charges, including computer intrusion, fraud via a wireless system, and extortion. He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023.

O'Connor was arrested in Spain in 2021 and extradited after the country's High Court ruled that the United States was the most appropriate jurisdiction to try the case because evidence and casualties were there.

The UK Crown Prosecutor (Crown Prosecution Service/CPS) on Monday 17 November said it had obtained a civil recovery order to confiscate 42 Bitcoins and other crypto assets linked to the fraudulent scheme. The scheme involves using hijacked accounts to request digital currencies and threaten a number of celebrities.

"We are able to use all available legal authority to ensure that even if someone is not convicted in the UK, we can still ensure that they do not profit from their crimes," prosecutor Adrian Foster said in a statement.

The order, made last week, follows orders to freeze assets that were secured during the extradition process. The assets will be sold by the court-appointed trustee, according to the prosecutor's office.

The attack in July 2020 broke into accounts belonging to big figures such as then Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former US President Barack Obama, as well as other figures including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Kim Kardashian. This incident prompted Twitter which is now known as X to temporarily limit verified account activities.