[Back to the takedown index](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns) # BreachForums shutdown following administrator arrest March 2023, Fraud and stolen data Led by [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation) Verified core entry, last reviewed August 21, 2026 What was taken down? Forum taken offline by a remaining staff member citing law-enforcement access to infrastructure; administrator's devices and accounts seized.[[1]](#source-1)[[3]](#source-3) [See what happened](#what-happened) What happened to the people? Officials reported 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted. 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted named in the public record. Group accounted for: Partial [See people and accountability](#people) Did it stay down? After this action the service returned with some of the same operators, first seen June 2023. The replacement was itself seized in a later action. Medium confidence in the link between the two. [See what happened afterward](#afterward) ## What happened FBI arrested BreachForums administrator Conor Brian Fitzpatrick; the forum was shut down shortly afterward amid indications that law enforcement had access to backend infrastructure.[[1]](#source-1)[[3]](#source-3) Announced March 24, 2023. **Date:** March 21 to March 29, 2023 **Target:** BreachForums, clearnet criminal forum **Activity:** Fraud and stolen data **Operational lead:** FBI **Partners** USAO-EDVA[[1]](#source-1) - [United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-attorney-s-office-for-the-eastern-district-of-virginia), charging **Jurisdiction:** United States **Outcome:** Forum taken offline by a remaining staff member citing law-enforcement access to infrastructure; administrator's devices and accounts seized. **Status:** Completed **Legal mechanism:** US arrest warrant and criminal complaint (Eastern District of Virginia) **Group accounted for:** Partial ## People and accountability Named in the public record: 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted. Figures count individuals named in charging documents and official statements, each person once per outcome. People alleged to be involved but not publicly identified are not counted. Reported and named. Officials reported 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted. 1 charged, 1 apprehended, and 1 convicted named in the public record. The two figures come from different places and are never added together. Officials publish a headline total, and this index counts only the individuals it can name from the cited record. #### Conor Brian Fitzpatrick Founder and administrator of BreachForums. Current public status: Arrested, Charged, Pleaded guilty, and Sentenced. **Charging authority:** United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia **Main charges:** Conspiracy to commit access device fraud **Case number:** Not established in the public record **Arresting authority:** Federal Bureau of Investigation **Arrest location:** Peekskill, New York, NY, United States **Extradition status:** Not established in the public record **Conviction or plea:** Pleaded guilty, July 11, 2023 **Sentence:** Resentenced 2025-09-16 to 36 months custody plus 20 years supervised release (Count 3), after Fourth Circuit vacated the original time-served sentence **Segment:** Core operator **Sources:** [[1]](#source-1)[[3]](#source-3)[[4]](#source-4) **Full record:** [Everything indexed for Conor Brian Fitzpatrick](https://takedownindex.org/people/conor-brian-fitzpatrick) Group accounted for: Partial Only the lead administrator was apprehended. Co-administrators immediately reconstituted the forum, demonstrating that the core group was not accounted for. Administrator plus at least one co-administrator who continued operating the brand. [See the organizations and roles behind this action](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/breachforums-shutdown-following-administrator-arrest/organizations) ## What happened afterward Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty and was sentenced; sentence later revisited on appeal.[[1]](#source-1)[[3]](#source-3) June 2023 BreachForums under ShinyHunters and Baphomet. Partial operator continuity. Confidence: Medium. Seized in a later action.[[2]](#source-2)[[3]](#source-3) Reconstituted by individuals who had served as staff on the prior iteration, retaining brand, database, and community. breachforums[.]st [Later action: BreachForums domain seizure](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/breachforums-domain-seizure) Return class A. The class is a research grading carried in the source dataset and its scale is not published, so this page relies on the relationship and confidence values instead. [How this index handles it](https://takedownindex.org/about). ## Sources Numbered markers throughout this entry link to the source that supports the claim beside them. ### Official sources 1. [United States v. Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, criminal complaint and affidavit](https://takedownindex.org/sources/united-states-district-court-for-the-eastern-district-of-virginia-united-states-) United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, March 16, 2023, Source grade P0 Arrest, charge, and identification of the BreachForums administrator No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. 2. [FBI seizure notice and statement regarding BreachForums](https://takedownindex.org/sources/federal-bureau-of-investigation-fbi-seizure-notice-and-statement-regarding-breac) Federal Bureau of Investigation, May 15, 2024, Source grade P1 Domain and Telegram channel seizure No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. ### Additional reporting and technical analysis 1. [Specialist reporting on the BreachForums shutdown and later sentencing](https://takedownindex.org/sources/established-specialist-cybersecurity-publication-specialist-reporting-on-the-bre) Established specialist cybersecurity publication, March 29, 2023, Source grade S2 Forum shutdown decision, staff statements, sentencing and resentencing history No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. 2. [BreachForums hacking forum admin resentenced to three years in prison](https://takedownindex.org/sources/bleepingcomputer-breachforums-hacking-forum-admin-resentenced-to-three-years-in-) BleepingComputer, September 16, 2025, Source grade S1 Fourth Circuit vacatur of the original sentence and Fitzpatrick's 2025-09-16 resentencing to 36 months custody plus 20 years supervised release. No address recorded for this source. Publisher, title, and date are given so it can be retrieved from the publisher. Coverage note. - This record is a probable edge case for the infrastructure test. The arrest is well documented; the extent of direct law-enforcement control over forum infrastructure at this stage rests substantially on a staff member's public statement rather than an official seizure notice. - The clearly documented infrastructure seizures of this brand are the 2024 and 2025 actions, recorded separately. Research context ## How this entry was checked This entry went through a dedicated source verification pass. Publisher, title, publication date, and docket numbers were confirmed against each cited source. Source review: Verified core Sources cited: 4 Research cutoff: August 20, 2026 Last reviewed August 21, 2026 See also [About the Internet Takedown Index](https://takedownindex.org/about) Related entries - [ChipMixer takedown](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/chipmixer-takedown) - [Operation Cookie Monster](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-cookie-monster) - [Operation MEDUSA](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-medusa) Report updates or corrections Help keep this record accurate. [Submit feedback](https://takedownindex.org/about#corrections-and-updates)