September 2, 2024 at 10:48PM
A 57-year-old man from Missouri has been arrested for a failed data extortion campaign against his former employer, an industrial company in New Jersey. Daniel Rhyne faces charges including extortion, intentional damage to a protected computer, and wire fraud after attempting to extort 20 bitcoins, valued at $750,000. He could face up to 35 years in prison and a $750,000 fine if convicted.
Summary:
Daniel Rhyne, a 57-year-old man from Missouri, has been arrested for an extortion attempt against his former employer, an industrial company in Somerset County, New Jersey. He was charged with extortion, intentional damage to a protected computer, and wire fraud. Rhyne gained unauthorized access to the company’s computer systems, altered administrator accounts and passwords, and sent an extortion email to the company’s employees. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison and a $750,000 fine for the charges.