## Tennessee Man Avoids Prison After Guilty Plea for Hacking US Supreme Court, VA Systems via @ihackedthegovernment
A 25-year-old Tennessee man has avoided prison time after admitting to hacking into sensitive US government systems and bragging about it on an Instagram account called @ihackedthegovernment. Nicholas Moore pleaded guilty to using stolen login credentials to access user accounts within the US Supreme Court's electronic filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Veterans Administration Health System. His unauthorized access, which occurred from August to October 2023, was followed by public posts on Instagram where he shared screenshots containing victims' personal information.

The case highlights a direct breach of federal systems, though the method by which Moore obtained the stolen credentials remains unclear. Prosecutors noted the intrusions were not subtle; Moore used the high-profile Instagram handle to document his actions. Despite the sensitive nature of the targets—including the nation's highest court and veteran healthcare records—federal prosecutors did not seek jail time or fines in their sentencing recommendation.

In a sentencing hearing today in US District Court for the District of Columbia, Moore received one year of probation, a significantly lighter sentence than the 36 months of probation the government had requested. The outcome underscores the complex calculus in sentencing for cyber intrusions that involve public boasting but may lack evidence of further malicious exploitation. Moore told the judge, 'I made a mistake,' a statement that factored into the court's decision for a non-custodial sentence focused on probationary supervision.
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- **Source**: Ars Technica
- **Sector**: The Network
- **Tags**: cybercrime, data breach, US government, sentencing, social media
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-04-17 21:52:29
- **ID**: 70075
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/70075