Man with @ihackedthegovernment Instagram account tells judge, “I made a mistake”

A 25-year-old man from Tennessee recently evaded prison after admitting to illegally accessing government systems using stolen credentials. This young man, Nicholas Moore, drew attention to his actions by sharing details on his Instagram account, @ihackedthegovernment. Moore accessed various user accounts, including those on the US Supreme Court's electronic filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Veterans Administration Health System. He further escalated the situation by publicly posting screenshots of sensitive personal information from the accounts he breached. While the exact method of how Moore acquired the stolen login credentials remains unclear, he was sentenced to a year of probation by a US District Court in Washington, D.C. The government had suggested a three-year probation period but did not seek any jail time or a financial penalty for his actions, which occurred between August and October 2023. During the sentencing hearing, Moore expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I made a mistake. I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen." The government explained its decision not to pursue incarceration, citing Moore's status as a vulnerable individual with long-term disabilities and his acceptance of responsibility for his conduct. Moore's guilty plea in January included charges related to hacking the Supreme Court's electronic filing system at least 25 times, along with breaches involving AmeriCorps and the Veterans Administration Health System. He faced a misdemeanor charge for fraud and related computer activities, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and fines up to $100,000.