SEATTLE, Wash. — A federal judge sentenced a former U.S. Army soldier Friday to 70 months in prison after he hacked telecommunications companies, stole confidential records and threatened to release the information unless victims paid ransoms.
U.S. District Judge Lauren King also ordered Cameron John Wagenius, 22, to pay $294,978 in restitution. Wagenius pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a cybercrime campaign that targeted at least 10 organizations.
“Cameron Wagenius spent more than a year and a half betraying the trust placed in him as an active duty soldier by carrying out a sweeping cybercrime campaign. He targeted U.S. and foreign telecommunications companies, compromised the sensitive data of countless people, and even sought to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service.”
A. Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General, DOJ Criminal Division
Federal prosecutors said Wagenius carried out the scheme while serving on active duty in the Army. He used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and worked with other hackers to obtain credentials for protected computer networks.
“His actions reflect an alarming disregard for the security of the public and the United States,” Duva said. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting privacy and security.”
Hackers Targeted Telecommunications Companies
According to court documents, the scheme began in April 2023 and continued through Dec. 18, 2024.
Wagenius and his co-conspirators obtained login credentials using a hacking tool called SSH Brute, which Wagenius helped develop, among other methods. They used Telegram group chats to exchange stolen credentials and discuss unauthorized access to telecommunications companies.
“Mr. Wagenius engaged in a long spree of criminal conduct attempting to blackmail hacking victims for more than $1 million,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington said. “He has repeatedly shown disregard for the privacy and security of others, the rules of the military, and the law.”
After stealing data, the group threatened victims with public disclosure unless they paid ransoms. In other cases, the conspirators offered stolen information for sale on cybercrime forums, including BreachForums and XSS.is.
Prosecutors said the group successfully sold some of the stolen information and used other records in additional fraud schemes, including SIM-swapping attacks.
“His hacking schemes were not only aimed at getting rich, he was also motivated by a desire to achieve status within criminal hacking communities. This sentence must impose real consequences to deter him, and hopefully other would-be hackers.”
Charles Neil Floyd, First Assistant U.S. Attorney
Stolen Records Included Government Official’s Data
In November 2024, Wagenius published two online posts containing stolen confidential, non-content call detail records belonging to a U.S. government official and family members of another former government official.
The posts also threatened to release additional confidential records unless a ransom was paid.
“The FBI and its law enforcement partners moved quickly to identify, locate, and arrest Cameron Wagenius, who abused the trust that came with his military service to break into the networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, steal the private records of Americans, and extort victims for profit,” Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division said.
According to prosecutors, one of the posts suggested Wagenius wanted to retaliate for the recent arrest of another cybercriminal.
Former Soldier Pleaded Guilty in Two Cases
Wagenius pleaded guilty July 15, 2025, in the Western District of Washington to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.
He previously pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to two counts of unlawfully transferring confidential phone records information in connection with the same conspiracy.
Judge King sentenced Wagenius to 70 months in prison during Friday’s hearing.
“Your actions show a shocking disregard for the safety and security of the United States. You took these actions motivated by greed and a desire for notoriety.”
Lauren King, U.S. District Judge
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section.
“This success is a result of our collaborative partnerships with federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section — sending a clear signal to cybercriminals that their actions will come at a cost,” Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office said.
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