In a significant federal case in Washington, D.C., Nicholas Moore, a 24-year-old Springfield, Tennessee resident, entered a guilty plea on Friday for unauthorized access to the U.S. Supreme Court's electronic filing system on more than 25 occasions during the year 2023. According to court documents, Moore exploited stolen login credentials to infiltrate the court's filing apparatus repeatedly over the course of the year.
Further investigations revealed Moore also unlawfully accessed personal information stored on computer servers of AmeriCorps and the Department of Veterans Affairs' online platform known as "MyHealtheVet," particularly accessing a U.S. Marine Corps veteran's records. He later disseminated screenshots of this sensitive data through an Instagram account he managed under the username "@ihackedthegovernment."
The nature of the compromised information included personal details belonging to the individuals whose credentials were used, most notably those associated with the Supreme Court filing system and the government service platforms. These actions culminated in federal charges, to which Moore has pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of computer fraud, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell is scheduled to preside over the sentencing hearing for Moore on April 17. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, led by Jeanine Pirro, brought forth the charges against Moore just last week as part of ongoing efforts to address cybersecurity breaches involving government entities.
This incident underscores vulnerabilities in federal information systems that store and manage highly sensitive personal and governmental records. Moore’s social media activity, where stolen data was publicly shared, raises concerns about privacy and cybersecurity enforcement for institutions critical to national governance and veteran affairs.