Seattle – A former Army soldier, most recently stationed in Texas, admitted to conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases. The soldier accessed sensitive records and attempted to extort the companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid.
Court documents reveal that between April 2023 and December 18, 2024, Cameron John Wagenius, 19, used online accounts under the nickname “kiberphant0m.” He conspired with others to defraud at least ten organizations by obtaining login credentials for their protected computer networks. The conspirators used a hacking tool called SSH Brute and other methods. They communicated via Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss unauthorized access while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.
After stealing data, the conspirators extorted victim organizations both privately and publicly. They threatened to post stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is and offered it for sale for thousands of dollars on these platforms. They sold some of this data successfully and used it for other frauds, including SIM-swapping. Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victims.
The announcement was made by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller for the Western District of Washington, Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office.
Wagenius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion related to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled for sentencing on October 6, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five years for extortion related to computer fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other prison time for aggravated identity theft. In a separate case connected with this conspiracy, Wagenius previously pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating this case with assistance from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the National Security Cyber Section. Flashpoint and Unit 221B also provided support.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang from the Western District of Washington along with Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown from the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting this case.
