A 21-year-old man named Ryan Hernandez has been sentenced to three years in prison for his “computer hacking scheme” and “possession of child pornography” found on his digital devices.
In 2016, Hernandez used phishing techniques to steal the credentials of a Nintendo employee – allowing him to leak information about the Switch prior to launch. When contacted by the FBI in 2017, while he was still a minor, he promised to stop any further malicious activity, noting how he understood the consequences if he repeated the actions.
However, he didn’t take much notice of this warning and returned to leaking Nintendo’s secrets between June 2018 and June 2019. During this time he hacked “multiple” Nintendo servers, stole “confidential information” and “boasted” online about his hacking exploits. When agents searched his home in June 2019, they discovered thousands of confidential Nintendo files and more than one thousand explicit videos and images.
In addition to serving three years, he has agreed to pay $259,323 in restitution to Nintendo. Following release from prison, he will be required to complete seven years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
