The Florida man accused of masterminding last year’s hack of high profile Twitter accounts has agreed to a plea deal that includes three years in prison, according to prosecutors.
The New York Post reports that Graham, now 18, pleaded guilty to 30 counts of communications fraud and other state crimes, according to Florida prosecutors. He was 17 at the time of the hack.
Under the agreement, Graham was sentenced as a youthful offender and will serve his time in a state prison facility for young adults. He will also spend three years on probation after his release. Prosecutors say that without the deal, a conviction as an adult could have carried a minimum sentence of 10 years.
Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said in a statement that the defendant “needs to be held accountable for that crime, and other potential scammers out there need to see the consequences.” He added that the office’s goal with any young defendant, whenever possible, is to “have them learn their lesson without destroying their future.”
The Tampa Bay Times reports that Graham appeared in court by video from the Hillsborough County Jail, where he has been held since his arrest last year. He acknowledged his guilty plea and said little else.
Authorities say that last July he gained access to Twitter’s internal systems by convincing an employee that he worked in the company’s IT department. The takeover hit accounts belonging to famous names including Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Kanye West, and was used to push a Bitcoin scam. Investigators say the scheme brought in more than $117,000 before it was shut down, and that the money was returned.
One message posted from the hijacked Obama account read, “I am giving back to the community due to Covid-19. All Bitcoin sent to the address below will be sent back doubled! If you send $1,000, I will send back $2,000.”
Made to order and shipped to your door.
Two other men, Mason of the United Kingdom and Nima of Orlando, have been charged in federal court in connection with the scheme, according to authorities. Charges are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
