2 men indicted on charges of stealing password, accessing law enforcement database

Law enforcement database indictment overview: 

• Who: Two men alleged to be part of a cybercriminal organization are facing a criminal indictment. 
• Why: Prosecutors say the men accessed a federal law enforcement database and used the information to extort money from people.
• Where: The law enforcement database indictment was filed in a New York federal court.

Two men who allegedly belong to a cybercriminal organization unlawfully used a police officer’s stolen password to access a restricted federal law enforcement database and extort victims by threatening to release their information, a newly-unsealed complaint claims.

Sagar Singh of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Nicholas Ceraolo of Queens, New York, were charged with wire fraud and computer intrusion conspiracy in a complaint unsealed March 14 in a New York federal court.

According to the complaint, Singh, 19, and Ceraolo, 25, are part of an online group called ViLE that specializes in obtaining people’s personal information and using it to harass or extort them. The practice is known as “doxxing.” 

Defendant posed as police officer to get information from U.S. social media platform

Beginning in May 2022, Singh allegedly used a password stolen from a law enforcement agent to access a federal database, the indictment states. Singh shared the password with Ceraolo, who also allegedly used it to access the database as well, it says.

On May 9, Singh allegedly sent screenshots to a friend of messages between himself and a person he was allegedly extorting, prosecutors say. Singh allegedly sent the person their own Social Security number, driver’s license number, phone number and address, saying, “Look familiar?” He then allegedly went on to tell the victim they would have to comply with him, or else something “negative” would happen to their parents. 

“I have every detail involving your parents … allowing me to do whatever I desire to them in malicious ways,” he allegedly added.

Meanwhile, in February 2022, Ceraolo allegedly gained unauthorized access to a Bangladeshi police official’s email account, the indictment states. Using the email, he allegedly asked an unnamed American social media platform for personal details about a user, including IP address, email and phone number, which the platform provided. 

“As alleged, the defendants shamed, intimidated and extorted others online,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “This office will not tolerate those who impersonate law enforcement officers and misuse the public safety infrastructure that exists to protect our citizens.”

If convicted, Ceraolo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and both Ceraolo and Singh face five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions.

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating a data breach involving the personally identifiable information of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, along with their families and staff. 

What do you think of the allegations in this doxxing case? Let us know in the comments! 

The government is represented by Alexander Mindlin, Ellen Sise and Adam Amir of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

The law database doxing case is USA v. Ceraolo, et al., Case No. 23-mj-00213, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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