Virginia twins arrested for allegedly plotting to destroy government databases

Two Virginia duplicate brothers were arrested for their alleged roles successful deleting authorities databases hosted by a national authorities contractor, the Justice Department announced connected Wednesday.

Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, some 34, were indicted past period for allegedly conspiring to delete databases utilized to store U.S. authorities information, the DOJ said successful a quality release.

The arrests travel aft Bloomberg News reported successful May however the brothers allegedly compromised information crossed respective agencies, including the IRS and the General Services Administration.

The brothers besides pleaded blameworthy successful 2015 to national charges of conspiracy successful transportation with information breaches astatine the State Department and a cosmetics company.

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Sohaib Akhter (left) and his duplicate brother, Muneeb. (Getty Images)

Both served aggregate years successful situation earlier landing jobs arsenic engineers for Opexus, a national contractor that helps process U.S. authorities records.

Following their termination arsenic national contractors, the brace allegedly attempted to harm their erstwhile leader and its U.S. authorities customers by accessing computers without authorization, issuing commands to barroom others from modifying the databases earlier they were removed, deleting databases, stealing accusation and destroying grounds of their activities, the DOJ said connected Wednesday successful the latest lawsuit against the 2 men.

In February, Muneeb Akhter deleted astir 100 databases storing U.S. authorities information, with galore of the databases containing Freedom of Information Act records administered by the national government, arsenic good arsenic delicate investigative files of national authorities components, the indictment claims.

Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, some 34, were indicted for allegedly conspiring to delete databases utilized to store U.S. authorities information. (iStock)

About a infinitesimal aft deleting a DHS database, Muneeb Akhter allegedly asked an artificial quality instrumentality however to wide strategy logs aft deleting databases.

The brothers besides talked astir cleaning retired their location successful anticipation of a constabulary search. The institution laptops utilized by the brace were wiped earlier they were returned to the national contractor.

Muneeb Akhter besides allegedly obtained accusation from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission without authorization aft helium was fired from the contractor. He is besides accused of having stolen copies of IRS accusation stored connected a virtual machine, including national taxation accusation and different identifying accusation of astatine slightest 450 people.

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The brothers antecedently served sentences successful transportation with information breaches astatine the State Department and a cosmetics company. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Sohaib Akhter is besides accused successful the indictment of trafficking successful a password that could entree a machine utilized by and for the U.S. government.

"These defendants abused their positions arsenic national contractors to onslaught authorities databases and bargain delicate authorities information. Their actions jeopardized the information of authorities systems and disrupted agencies’ quality to service the American people," Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the DOJ’s Criminal Division said successful a statement.

Muneeb Akhter is charged with conspiracy to perpetrate machine fraud and to destruct records, 2 counts of machine fraud, theft of U.S. authorities records and 2 counts of aggravated individuality theft. Sohaib Akhter is charged with conspiracy to perpetrate machine fraud and to destruct records and machine fraud.