Washington, D.C. — Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, a 22-year-old who founded the infamous cybercrime marketplace BreachForums, was resentenced on Tuesday to three years in federal prison for running one of the largest hacking forums globally and for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Fitzpatrick, who is also known online as “Pompompurin,” had initially received a sentence of time served (17 days), but in January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned that ruling, calling for a new sentencing due to the gravity of the offenses.
BreachForums, which was launched in March 2022 following the shutdown of RaidForums, rapidly amassed over 330,000 members, establishing itself as a worldwide center for cybercriminals to trade hacked databases, stolen personal information, and illegal goods. Authorities report that the site provided access to more than 14 billion stolen records, which included bank information, Social Security numbers, and login details for major online services. Some of the data available included:
- Contact details for 200 million users of a U.S.-based social media platform
- Records of nearly 88,000 members of InfraGard, a collaboration between the public and private sectors involving the FBI.
Alongside his cybercrime-related charges, Fitzpatrick was also found guilty of possessing CSAM, which heightened the seriousness of the allegations.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to bringing to justice those who seek to sell stolen data to the highest bidder,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. “To those seeking to operate a similar forum, take note: we will tirelessly investigate those who commit these crimes.”
Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to access device conspiracy, access device solicitation, and possession of CSAM. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to forfeit:
- Over 100 domain names used in BreachForums’ operation
- More than a dozen electronic devices
- Cryptocurrency representing the proceeds of the scheme
“This was not a victimless crime,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The damage is difficult to quantify, and the human cost of his collection of child sexual abuse material is incalculable.”
