{"id":52727,"date":"2026-10-08T16:55:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptomag.finance\/?p=52727"},"modified":"2026-10-08T16:55:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T16:55:56","slug":"former-engineer-gets-32-months-prison-for-hacking-employer-and-demanding-bitcoin-btc-ransom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptomag.finance\/?p=52727","title":{"rendered":"Former Engineer Gets 32 Months Prison for Hacking Employer and Demanding Bitcoin (BTC) Ransom"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

A disgruntled former core infrastructure engineer at a New Jersey industrial company sabotaged the firm\u2019s computer network and extorted employees with a large Bitcoin (BTC) ransom demand.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Justice says<\/a> 59-year-old Missouri man Daniel Rhyne pleaded guilty to a two-count information that charged him with extortion in relation to a threat to cause damage to a protected computer and intentional damage to a protected computer.<\/p>\n

In or around November 2023, Rhyne took steps to execute a scheme to hack his employer\u2019s computer network and extort the firm into paying a ransom.<\/p>\n

The engineer initiated unauthorized remote desktop sessions and scheduled tasks to delete network administrator accounts, change passwords, and shut down multiple servers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn November 25, 2023, Rhyne sent an extortion email to Victim-1 employees in which he threatened to continue shutting down Victim-1 servers unless and until he received approximately 20 Bitcoin, which, at the time, was valued at approximately $750,000.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

At time of writing, 20 Bitcoin is worth about $1.667 million.<\/p>\n

He pleaded<\/a> guilty on April 1st, 2026, in Trenton federal court before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp.<\/p>\n

Shipp sentenced Rhyne on October 5th, 2026, to 32 months in prison.<\/p>\n

The FBI\u2019s Newark Field Office and FBI Kansas City investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Taj Moore of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.<\/p>\n

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The post Former Engineer Gets 32 Months Prison for Hacking Employer and Demanding Bitcoin (BTC) Ransom<\/a> appeared first on The Daily Hodl<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A disgruntled former core infrastructure engineer at a New Jersey industrial company sabotaged the firm\u2019s computer network and extorted employees with a large Bitcoin (BTC) ransom demand. 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