Nicholas Moore, 24, of Springfield, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to charges related to unauthorized access of several government systems, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic document filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Moore pleaded guilty to one count of fraud activity in connection with computers, classified as a Class A misdemeanor. The unauthorized activity occurred over several months, with charges spanning periods like August to October 2023.
According to court documents, Moore intentionally accessed a protected computer on 25 different days between August and October 2023, thereby obtaining protected information. He accessed the U.S. Supreme Court’s electronic filing system without authorization using the stolen credentials of an authorized user over 25 days.
In addition to the Supreme Court system, Moore targeted other government networks. He utilized stolen credentials to access AmeriCorps accounts, obtaining the second victim’s personal information between August 17 and October 13, 2023. He also accessed the VA’s “MyHealthEVet” platform using the stolen login credentials of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, a hack that occurred on five days between September 14 and October 14, 2023.
The hack allowed Moore to access sensitive information, including the veteran’s private health data and prescribed medications. Moore reportedly posted screenshots of the victim’s Supreme Court filing details, AmeriCorps personal information, and the VA’s health data to his Instagram account, @ihackedthegovernment.
During the sentencing hearing, Moore stated, “I made a mistake,” adding, “I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen.”
Moore was initially facing a year in prison and a fine of $100,000 in damages. Prosecutors later requested that he be sentenced to probation.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the Supreme Court of the United States Police – Protective Intelligence Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General.