U.S. Army soldier Cameron John Wagenius, 20, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully transferring confidential phone records.
Federal prosecutors allege that Wagenius participated in a cybercriminal ring that trafficked sensitive data, including alleged phone records of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, on the black market.
An indictment unsealed this week outlines two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records against Wagenius, according to KrebsOnSecurity.
The young soldier was apprehended on December 20 near Fort Hood, Texas, associated with Fort Cavazos, where he was stationed.
Wagenius, who previously worked on network communications at an Army base in South Korea, is accused of operating under the alias “Kiberphant0m” in online forums.
Prosecutors claim he played a role in several high-profile data breaches and sold confidential phone records. In November, “Kiberphant0m” allegedly posted what he claimed to be AT&T call logs for Trump and Harris, though the authenticity of these records remains unverified.
Wagenius’s mother, Alicia Roen, described her son as a tech-savvy individual but expressed shock at the allegations.
“I never knew my son was involved in any of this,” Roen told journalist Brian Krebs. She added, “Do you really think a child would ever tell his parents he was involved in criminal activity?”
The investigation into Wagenius’s activities revealed connections to other alleged cybercriminals, including Canadian national Connor Riley Moucka, known online as “Judische,” and John Binns, currently detained in Turkey.
The group is suspected of being involved in the theft and extortion of data from customers of various organizations, including the cloud service provider Snowflake.
Allison Nixon, chief research officer at the cybersecurity firm Unit 221B, played a critical role in identifying Wagenius. Nixon, along with other researchers, faced harassment and threats from individuals linked to the cybercrime ring.
“Anonymously extorting the President and VP as a member of the military is a bad idea, but it’s an even worse idea to harass people who specialize in de-anonymizing cybercriminals,” Nixon told KrebsOnSecurity.
Nixon emphasized the speed and efficiency of the investigation, noting that law enforcement moved swiftly from identifying Wagenius’s online alias on November 10 to his arrest by December 20.
Nixon had a stark warning for others engaged in cybercrime: “You need to stop doing stupid stuff and get a lawyer. Law enforcement wants to put all of you in prison for a long time.”
The charges against Wagenius were initially filed in Texas but have since been transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle. The case underscores the increasing capability of law enforcement to track and prosecute cybercriminals, even those operating within the United States.
As the investigation continues, it highlights the risks and consequences of engaging in cybercrime, particularly for those who believe they can remain anonymous.
