US Soldier Sentenced for Hacking AT&T and Verizon Data

Cameron John Wagenius, a 22-year-old US Army soldier stationed at a base in South Korea, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for hacking several telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Verizon, and stealing call and text metadata from over 100 million AT&T customers. He was ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution.

Operating under the alias “Kiberphant0m,” Wagenius worked with three co-conspirators to exploit companies with exposed credentials and lacking multi-factor authentication. In October 2024, he boasted on cybercrime forums about obtaining sensitive data, including timestamps and call durations.

Wagenius and his associates attempted to extort companies by threatening to release the stolen information. He was arrested in December 2025 after being identified as a US soldier.

Kenneth Schuchman, a co-conspirator with a history of cybercrime, also assisted in extortion efforts. Two other suspects related to the data thefts are facing charges, including Conor Riley Moucka and John Erin Binns.