Idaho Man Sentenced for Computer Hacking and Extortion Scheme

NEWNAN, Ga. - Robert Purbeck, who hacked into the computer servers of the City of Newnan, a Griffin, Georgia, medical clinic, and 17 other victims across the United States, and stole personal information belonging to more than 132,000 people, has been sentenced to federal prison. Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist for payment in Bitcoin, threatening to disclose stolen patient records and other personal information.

"Purbeck's crimes reflect the efforts of a callous and brazen cybercriminal who not only hacked into numerous computer servers and stole sensitive personal information from both private and public actors, but also threatened to extort many of his victims and disclose their data," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. "Thanks to the tireless work of law enforcement, Purbeck's time of hiding behind a computer to steal, threaten, and intimidate is over."

"Cyber extortion is unfortunately a rapidly growing threat and highlights the ever-growing need for corporations to remain vigilant in cybersecurity efforts," said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "This sentencing is just one example of the FBI working together to hold criminals that hide behind their computers accountable, regardless of their location."

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In June 2017, Purbeck purchased access to the computer server of a Griffin medical clinic on a darknet marketplace. He then used the stolen credentials to illegally access the computers of the medical clinic and removed records that contained the sensitive personal information of more than 43,000 individuals, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers.

In February 2018, Purbeck purchased access to a City of Newnan Police Department server on a darknet marketplace. Purbeck used the stolen credentials to hack into the City of Newnan's computer systems and stole police reports and other documents, including personal information of more than 14,000 individuals.

Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in July 2018, demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin in return for his stolen patient files, threatening to sell the patient and personal information unless the orthodontist paid the ransom. Additionally, Purbeck threatened to sell the personal information of the orthodontist's minor child. Purbeck harassed the orthodontist and his patients for 10 days with numerous threatening emails and text messages.

On August 21, 2019, FBI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Purbeck's home in Meridian, Idaho. During the search, agents seized multiple computers and electronic devices, which contained personal information of over 132,000 individuals, obtained through Purbeck's numerous data breaches, including the City of Newnan, the Griffin medical clinic, and at least 17 other victims throughout the United States. Many of these victims incurred substantial expenses, including remediation costs and disruption to business operations because of Purbeck's conduct.

Robert Purbeck, 45, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $1,048,702.98. Purbeck was convicted of two counts of computer fraud and abuse on March 19, 2024,after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI Boise (Idaho) Resident Agency.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Herskowitz, Nathan Kitchens, Alex R. Sistla, and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho also provided valuable assistance in this case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.