A 24-year-old man from Tennessee has admitted in a Washington, D.C. court to repeatedly hacking the United States Supreme Court's electronic filing system, in a brazen cybercrime spree that also targeted other federal agencies.
Guilty Plea and Charges
Nicholas Moore, from Springfield, Tennessee, pleaded guilty on Friday, 16 January 2026, to one misdemeanour count of computer fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who is scheduled to sentence Moore on 17 April.
The case is being prosecuted by the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, which formally charged Moore just last week.
Scope of the Cyber Attacks
Court documents reveal the extent of Moore's intrusions. In 2023, he used stolen login credentials to illegally access the Supreme Court's case filing system on 25 separate occasions. During these breaches, he viewed personal records belonging to the individual whose identity he had stolen.
Moore did not keep his activities secret. He reportedly boasted about the hacks on social media, posting information about the victim on an Instagram account under the handle "@ihackedthegovernment."
Additional Government Systems Compromised
Moore's guilty plea also encompassed attacks on two other significant government platforms. He admitted to using stolen credentials to access:
- AmeriCorps' computer servers, from which he obtained a user's personal information.
- A U.S. Marine Corps veteran's account on the Department of Veterans Affairs' "MyHealtheVet" electronic health platform.
He posted screenshots of the data stolen from both the AmeriCorps and VA systems on the same Instagram account, further compounding the breaches.
Legal Proceedings and Implications
The case highlights ongoing vulnerabilities within even the most prestigious government institutions to credential-based attacks. While the charge is a misdemeanour, the targeting of the nation's highest court and veteran services underscores the serious nature of the offences.
All eyes will now turn to Judge Beryl Howell's courtroom on 17 April, when Moore will learn his fate. The sentencing will determine the consequence for a spree that compromised the digital security of America's top judicial body and key public service agencies.
