Spanish court agrees to extradite Brit who hacked Biden, Obama and Bill Gates

The National Court of Spain has given green light for the US to extradite a British man accused of hacking the Twitter accounts of Biden, Obama and Bill gates, and for extortion through social media sites.

The Court said that 23-year-old Joseph James O’ Conner allegedly participated in a number of online attacks and faces fourteen criminal charges in the US.

O’ Conner, who was arrested in July 2021 in Málaga, is accused of hacking 130 Twitter accounts, as well as the Snapchat account of a public figure whom he tried to extort by threatening to spread nude images of him.

The High Court decided that the US is in a better position to prosecute since the evidence obtained in the investigation was found there and because it is where the damage has been caused.

The defendant has also been linked to several incidents of false calls to generate an emergency response from law enforcement. These cases included a call about the blowing up of an airport and an armed individual wanting to kill his wife and children.

US authorities also requested an extension of the extradition with new charges including hacks where he aimed to steal money and cryptocurrencies which prosecutors say were later laundered through transfers and transactions.

    Share Story:

Recent Stories


The future-ready CFO: Driving strategic growth and innovation
This National Technology News webinar sponsored by Sage will explore how CFOs can leverage their unique blend of financial acumen, technological savvy, and strategic mindset to foster cross-functional collaboration and shape overall company direction. Attendees will gain insights into breaking down operational silos, aligning goals across departments like IT, operations, HR, and marketing, and utilising technology to enable real-time data sharing and visibility.

The corporate roadmap to payment excellence: Keeping pace with emerging trends to maximise growth opportunities
In today's rapidly evolving finance and accounting landscape, one of the biggest challenges organisations face is attracting and retaining top talent. As automation and AI revolutionise the profession, finance teams require new skillsets centred on analysis, collaboration, and strategic thinking to drive sustainable competitive advantage.