A 20-year-old Scattered Spider member has been sentenced to 10 years in U.S. prison and ordered to pay $13 million in restitution for SIM-swapping crypto thefts.

Noah Michael Urban, also known as "Sosa" and "King Bob," was found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, and identity theft in two federal cases, one in Florida and another in California. The charges relate to his alleged role in the Scattered Spider cybercrime group, also known as UNC3944, 0ktapus.

Urban admitted to exporting stolen data and helping run sophisticated phishing and fraud operations across multiple states. The cybercrime group Scattered Spider is suspected of hacking into hundreds of organizations over the past two years, including Twilio, LastPass, DoorDash, and Mailchimp.

The group is part of a broader cybercriminal community called "The Com," where hackers brag about high-profile cyber thefts, typically initiated through social engineering tactics like phone, email, or SMS scams to gain access to corporate networks.

In January 2024, U.S. authorities arrested Urban, suspected of being a member of the Scattered Spider cybercriminal group. He was accused of stealing at least $800,000 from five victims between August 2022 and March 2023.

Urban's hacking shook the music industry by leaking unreleased tracks from artists like Playboi Carti, Ariana Grande, and Lil Uzi Vert. The leaks disrupted album plans and caused major financial and emotional damage.

Ariana Grande expressed her frustration publicly, highlighting the personal toll of the breach.

"The sentence is unfair," Urban said in reply to questions, noting that the judge ignored his young age as a mitigating factor. "He should have been removed as a judge much earlier on. But staying in county jail is torture."

Urban's lawyer had requested five years of prison time, while federal prosecutors had requested eight years. However, the judge decided to sentence Urban to 120 months in federal prison, with three years of supervised release.

"Despite federal prosecutors requesting eight years and the defense requesting five years for Noah Urban, a federal judge decided to sentence Urban to 120 months in federal prison, with three years of supervised release. He also has to pay $13 million in restitution to victims."

The case illustrates the real-world impact of cybercrime on artists and highlights the need for effective law enforcement strategies to combat these types of threats.

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A SCATTERED SPIDER MEMBER GETS 10 YEARS IN PRISON