BreachForums admin detained over VPN use

Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, also known as Pompompurin, violated pre-trial parole requirements by using a computer without the required monitoring service.

FBI agents arrested the former admin of the now-defunct BreachForums cybercrime website on January 2nd, court documents show.

Officers told the judge that Fitzpatrick violated his parole requirements by using a computer and VPN services without the court-prescribed monitoring software enabled.

VPN services can be used to mask user traffic and avoid unwanted attention.

The parole violations will prompt Fitzpatrick to appear in front of a Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia and will remain in custody until he does so.

The feds first arrested Fitzpatrick, who was 20 years old at the time, in late March 2023 over his involvement in curating the infamous cybercrime marketplace BreachForums.

A court hearing document from July 2023 said Fitzpatrick was charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, access device fraud leading to unauthorized solicitation, and possession of child pornography.

Pompompurin reportedly pleaded guilty on all three counts.

Cybercriminals used BreachForums to exchange data stolen from businesses and other organizations. For example, information stolen from a medical insurance company, DC Health Link, including sensitive information on US House and Senate members, was posted on the website.

Numerous other leaks have appeared on the forums since its inception last year. Attackers allegedly posted data from US-based software company Beeline, Taiwanese hardware and electronics giant Acer, video game maker Activision, messaging app WhatsApp, and many others.