Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Florida Man For Attempting To Gain Unauthorized Access To The Computer Network Of A Global Charitable Organization

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Robert J. Sica, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”), announced today the filing of a criminal complaint against TIMOTHY SEDLAK for attempting to gain unauthorized access to the computer network of a global charitable organization based in New York, New York (the “Organization”).  SEDLAK was arrested in Ocoee, Florida in the evening of September 11, 2015.  He will be presented later today in federal court in Orlando, Florida before United States Magistrate Judge Gregory J. Kelly.   

According to the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

From in or about June 2015, up to and including in or about July 2015, computers associated with two particular internet protocol addresses (the “IP Addresses”) made nearly four hundred thousand attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Organization’s computer network.  As a result, numerous Organization employees experienced difficulty accessing their Organization email accounts, and were disrupted in their ability to conduct regular business functions.  Both of the IP Addresses were subscribed to SEDLAK at SEDLAK’s residence in Florida (the “Sedlak Residence”)

In particular, between June 22, 2015 and July 8, 2015, from one of the IP Addresses, there were approximately 195,000 attempts to log into approximately twenty email accounts of the Organization.  Between July 8, 2015 and July 10, 2015, from the other IP Address, there were an additional approximately 195,000 attempts to log into approximately six email accounts of the Organization.  SEDLAK has never been employed by the Organization, and was not authorized to access any email accounts of the Organization.

On or about September 11, 2015, USSS agents executed a search warrant at the Sedlak Residence, from which they seized, among other things, (i) approximately 30 computers connected to the same internal network, which enabled each computer to communicate with the others (the “Sedlak Computers”); (ii) notes pertaining to the Organization, an executive of the Organization (“Individual-1”) and an individual who has been publicly affiliated with the Organization (“Individual-2”), including e-mail addresses, registrant information for certain website domain names, and certain IP address information associated with the Organization, Individual-1 and/or Individual-2; and (iii) lists of e-mail addresses and e-mail servers, many of which included the word “jihad.”  The Sedlak Computers contained, among other things, a list of certain Organization employees’ email account usernames, and a “brute force” password-cracking tool.  Such a tool is designed to launch a relentless barrage of potential passwords at an email account in an attempt to guess the account’s password.

On or about September 11, 2015, USSS agents interviewed SEDLAK, who claimed to be using the Sedlak Computers to conduct “research” into charitable organizations in the course of his work as a private investigator.  In particular, SEDLAK claimed to be trying to determine if such organizations are unintentionally financing jihadist groups by sending, to charitable organizations in the Middle East, funds which are then seized by jihadist groups.  When asked about notes pertaining to Individual-1 and Individual-2 found at the Sedlak Residence, SEDLAK claimed that he came across such information in his “research” into the financing of jihadist groups.  SEDLAK claimed that he hoped to sell the information he found.

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SEDLAK, 42, of Ocoee, Florida, is charged with one count of attempted unauthorized access to a computer, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Secret Service.  Mr. Bharara also noted that the investigation remains ongoing.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Kristy J. Greenberg is in charge of the prosecution.