Cybercrime Review Who is Who: Skylar Ian Feurstein Pleads Guilty to Attempted Computer Hacking

In October 2010, Skylar Ian Feurstein began communicating online with a young woman living in London, United Kingdom. The two kept contact by email, social networking sites, and webcam. By the end of 2011, the woman tried to end the communication, but Feurstein, however, continued to email her and threatened to harm her, her family and friends.

Skylar Ian Feurstein

In January 2012, the victim contacted the Metropolitan Police in London to complain of the defendant’s continued threats to her, her family, and her coworkers. British authorities asked the FBI for assistance in Florida.

In February, 2012, FBI special agents visited the defendant at his home in Port St. Lucie, and advised him to stop. He did not, instead he still continued to send email threats to the victim into March 2012. Some of the emails contained death threats with subject titles such as “I will kill you” or “I will kill you and your family.” During the course of his conduct, defendant attempted electronically to access the victim’s email accounts on both the computer servers of her internet service provider, located in California, and on her personal computer, located in the United Kingdom.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer

On April 12th, Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida announced the indictment of defendant Skylar Ian Feurstein on charges of making threatening communications in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of:

• 18 U.S.C. § 875(c), and making extortionate messages in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(d). 

The defendant appeared in federal court in Fort Pierce on April 13th, 2012 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank J. Lynch, Jr. and was ordered detained pending trial.

On September 7th 2012, Skylar Ian Feurstein, pled guilty to charges of attempting to access a protected computer in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of:

• 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2) and (b).

On his sentencing date, that was set for December 17th, 2012, Feurstein faced a maximum statutory term of imprisonment of five years on the charges of making threatening messages and not more than two years on the extortion count.