Virginia Contractors Accused Of Wiping Government Databases After Employment Termination
Published
Key Takeaways
What the DOJ says: The brothers allegedly accessed systems without authorization and deleted numerous federal databases.
The indictment: The deletions affected FOIA records, investigative files, and a DHS database, according to prosecutors.
What the filing describes: The alleged activity occurred after the brothers were terminated from their contractor positions.
The Justice Department has released a press statement accusing two Virginia brothers of conspiring to destroy government databases managed by a federal contractor. The indictment identifies the defendants as Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter, both thirty four years old and residents of Alexandria.
The Justice Department says they were employed as contractors and allegedly used that access to compromise systems after their employment ended.
Details About the Indictment
According to the indictment, the brothers allegedly accessed contractor systems without authorization and issued commands that prevented others from modifying databases that were later deleted.
Prosecutors say Muneeb Akhter deleted approximately ninety six databases on February 18, including FOIA records, investigative files, and other sensitive government materials.
The filing says he deleted a DHS database and then searched an artificial intelligence tool for steps on clearing system logs. The indictment alleges that several of the deleted databases contained federal investigative documents managed by multiple departments and agencies.
The brothers allegedly discussed cleaning their house before a possible law enforcement search and returned their laptops after wiping them. Muneeb Akhter also accessed IRS information from a virtual machine, including federal tax data and identifying details of about four hundred fifty individuals.
The indictment charges Sohaib Akhter with trafficking a password that allegedly granted access to a government system. The Justice Department says both men were arrested on Wednesday and now face conspiracy, computer fraud, theft of government records, aggravated identity theft, and password trafficking charges. The indictment is an allegation, and the defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“These defendants abused their positions as federal contractors to attack government databases and steal sensitive government information. Their actions jeopardized the security of government systems and disrupted agencies’ ability to serve the American people,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
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