Irish man facing more than 100 years in US prison for alleged hacking theft of Bitcoin given bail

Mr Freeman’s surrender is being sought on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and four counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. If convicted in the US, Mr Freeman is facing up to 108 years in prison.

US authorities allege that members of an online group calling itself “The Community” conspired to “hack numerous targets” with the objective of stealing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, between February 2018 and May 2018. The others are US residents.

According to a warrant issued by the US Department of Justice, authorities have identified four attacks in which Mr Freeman allegedly participated that resulted in the theft of cryptocurrency valued at $2,187,977.

Det. Sgt Jim Kirwan, of the garda extradition unit, told the High Court that he arrested Mr Freeman at his home address in Dun Laoghaire earlier this month. When asked whether he knew about the allegations, Mr Freeman replied “I do,” the detective said.

Mr Freeman was granted bail by the High Court today in his own bond of €5,000 and an independent surety of €15,000.

Counsel for the Attorney General, Siobhán Ní Chúlacháin BL, said the terms of Mr Freeman’s proposed bail were acceptable to the State.

Mr Freeman is required to not apply for travel documents, not to use technology, including a smartphone, not to go online, not to contact his co-accused and continue cooperating with the authorities. He is required to sign on daily at Dun Laoghaire Garda station.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly remanded Mr Freeman on bail to July 1 when the case is next listed for mention. She told him that he was wanted for prosecution in the US, and that he enjoyed the presumption of innocence.

US authorities asked Irish extradition detectives to arrest Mr Freeman on the same day his co-accused were arrested in America. They did this because they believed Mr Freeman would allegedly destroy evidence and potentially flee once he learned of the arrests of his alleged co-conspirators, according to the extradition warrant.

The warrant states that Mr Freeman and five others were indicted by a Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Michigan on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud and aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft on April 18, 2019.

Members of the group calling itself “The Community” allegedly specialised in a technique called “SIM Hijacking” or “SIM Swapping”, according to the warrant. This technique involves stealing identities by compromising a target’s mobile phone provider or gaining control of the target’s mobile phone number, it adds.

Once these individuals controlled a target’s mobile phone number, they leveraged it to compromise the target’s email and other online accounts, with the goal of eventually gaining control - and stealing - the target’s cryptocurrency, the warrant states.

In May 2018, a member of “The Community” involved in these attacks was arrested in the Eastern District of Michigan. This individual cooperated with US authorities, who gained access to his computers, including records of online chats between this subject and others.

Review of the chats revealed an individual identifying himself as “Conor” who allegedly played a significant role in “numerous attacks” by “The Community”, the warrant states.

US authorities have identified four attacks in which “Conor” participated that resulted in the theft of cryptocurrency valued at $2,187,977, according to the warrant.

Further investigations revealed that “Conor” is Conor Freeman, according to the warrant. It was substantiated by linking IP addresses used by “Conor” to Irish mobile phone and residential internet service providers, it adds.

The first five counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison per count while the final four counts carry a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to the underlying felony.