CHARLOTTE — A federal jury convicted a Charlotte man on Wednesday for carrying out a cyber extortion scheme against an international technology company based in Washington, D.C. Cameron Curry, 27, was found guilty of six counts of transmitting interstate communications with the intent to extort.
Curry was a contractor who worked as a data analyst for the victim company for approximately six months. Trial evidence established that he used his position to access sensitive personnel and corporate records after learning his contract would not be renewed.
Curry sent over 60 email messages to company employees and executives between Dec. 11, 2023, and Jan. 24, 2024.
Operating under the online alias “Loot,” he demanded $2.5 million in cryptocurrency to prevent the release of stolen files.
The email messages contained threats to disclose sensitive corporate records and employee data. This information included personally identifiable information of staff members.
Curry also threatened to damage the company’s reputation by publicly reporting a data breach and publishing the records if the firm failed to pay him.
The FBI ended the extortion scheme on Jan. 24, 2024, after executing a search warrant at Curry’s residence. Agents seized several electronic devices during the search. A forensic analysis of the equipment revealed that Curry had been using the “Loot” alias to conduct the extortion.
Russ Ferguson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced the conviction following the three-day trial. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over the case.
Curry faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each of the six counts. A date for his sentencing has not yet been scheduled by the court.
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