Nicholas Moore Pleads Guilty to Hacking US Supreme Court E-Filing System, Gets Probation

A 25-year-old Tennessee man, Nicholas Moore, avoided prison time after pleading guilty to repeatedly accessing government systems using stolen login credentials and then boasting about it on Instagram under the handle @ihackedthegovernment.

“A 25-year-old Tennessee man avoided prison time after pleading guilty to accessing government systems with stolen login credentials and boasting of the deed on an Instagram account with the handle, @ihackedthegovernment”

Ars Technica

The conduct centered on Moore accessing user accounts on the US Supreme Court’s electronic filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Veterans Administration Health System, with the unauthorized access occurring in 2023 from August to October.

Ars Technica

Moore publicly posted screenshots of users’ personal information to his @ihackedthegovernment account on Instagram, and prosecutors said his guilty plea related to “hacking the electronic filing system of the US Supreme Court at least 25 times and additionally hacking accounts at AmeriCorps and the Veterans Administration Health System.”

The Hill reported that Moore admitted he hacked the high court more than two dozen times, and that he faced up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor count of fraud activity in connection with computers.

Ars Technica said the US government requested 36 months of probation for the unauthorized access that took place in 2023 from August to October, while the government sentencing recommendation did not request any jail time or a fine.

At sentencing, Moore told the court, “I made a mistake,” and said, “I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen.”

The case was resolved in US District Court for the District of Columbia, where Moore was sentenced to a year of probation.

Prosecutors described a pattern of access that spanned multiple federal systems and multiple days in 2023, with Moore using stolen credentials of authorized users to gain entry.

The Hill said Moore used the stolen login credentials of authorized users to gain access to the systems in 2023, viewing their personal information and, at times, posting it online.

mezha.net

It further stated that Moore first targeted the Supreme Court, accessing the authorized user’s e-filing account on 25 different days and sometimes multiple times in a single day.

The Hill reported that Moore could view their full name, address, security question answers and other identifying information, and that he posted screenshots of the account’s landing page to his Instagram account several times.

The Hill added that Moore later did the same with records at AmeriCorps and the Veterans Administration Health System, and that the latter hack revealed details including the user’s phone number, blood type and service branch.

Ars Technica said Moore’s guilty plea in January related to “hacking the electronic filing system of the US Supreme Court at least 25 times and additionally hacking accounts at AmeriCorps and the Veterans Administration Health System,” and it described the charge as fraud and related activity in connection with computers, a misdemeanor that can be punished by up to one year of prison time and a fine of up to $100,000.

In court, Moore appeared remotely at a sentencing hearing, and he told the judge, “I made a mistake,” according to The Hill.

The sentencing arguments centered on probation length, Moore’s personal circumstances, and the government’s view of the seriousness of the conduct without seeking incarceration.

“byElla Lee04/17/26 10:33 AM ET A Tennessee man who pleaded guilty to repeatedly hacking into the Supreme Court’s electronic filing system was sentenced on Friday to one year of probation”

The Hill

Ars Technica reported that the US government had requested 36 months of probation for the unauthorized access that took place in 2023 from August to October, and that the government sentencing recommendation did not request any jail time or a fine.

It quoted the government’s explanation that “Moore is a vulnerable young man with long-term disabilities” and that he took responsibility for his actions, adding that “his conduct must not be taken lightly, but his actions stopped short of a level that would justify incarceration for a defendant with Moore’s mental health and medical needs.”

The Hill said the Justice Department sought only probation, a recommendation on the lower end of federal sentencing guidelines for Moore, and it described Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Elizabeth Bultemeier’s argument that 36 months would not be “burdensome” for him.

The Hill also reported that Bultemeier wrote, “Moore seems to have acted more to show off to online acquaintances than to leverage the accounts he accessed for financial gain.”

Moore’s attorney, Eugene Ohm, requested 12 months of probation, and The Hill said Ohm told the court that Moore immediately admitted guilt and accepted a plea deal when confronted by federal law enforcement.

At sentencing, US District Judge Beryl Howell handed down the 12-month sentence of probation, and the judge “joked that his potential is apparent, given the ease with which he hacked into three government systems.”

Beyond probation length, the sources describe competing narratives about why Moore acted and what the government believed his conduct represented.

The Hill reported that in court filings the government called Moore a “vulnerable young man” whose personal circumstances and age suggest an ability to “redirect his interests … toward a more productive path.”

Ars Technica

Ars Technica similarly quoted the government’s sentencing memorandum, stating that “Moore is a vulnerable young man with long-term disabilities” and that “his conduct must not be taken lightly, but his actions stopped short of a level that would justify incarceration for a defendant with Moore’s mental health and medical needs.”

The Hill described how the government argued Moore’s actions were not driven by financial gain, quoting Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Elizabeth Bultemeier’s view that “Moore seems to have acted more to show off to online acquaintances than to leverage the accounts he accessed for financial gain.”

The Hill also reported that Moore’s attorney, Eugene Ohm, said Moore has “suspended” his “toxic” online social life and is working toward reintegrating into in-person spaces like church.

In his own words at sentencing, Moore told the court, “I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen.”

The sentencing outcome—probation rather than prison—prompted debate about whether leniency deters future cyber intrusions, according to the sources that framed the case.

“A hacker who boasted online about breaching federal systems received probation, sparking debate over whether lenient sentences deter future cyber intrusions”

mezha.net

Ars Technica described the government’s request for 36 months of probation and said the recommendation did not seek jail time or a fine, while it also reported that Moore was sentenced to a year of probation in US District Court for the District of Columbia.

mezha.net

The Hill reported that the Justice Department sought only probation, described it as a recommendation on the lower end of federal sentencing guidelines, and said prosecutors cited Moore’s admission and commitment to taking responsibility as reasons for a lighter sentence.

Mezha.net, in its local Western framing, said the case “received probation, sparking debate over whether lenient sentences deter future cyber intrusions,” and it described Moore as a hacker who boasted online about breaching federal systems.

The Hill reported that Moore had not engaged in similar conduct since 2023, and that none of the individuals targeted experienced financial losses.

Judge Beryl Howell’s remark that his “potential is apparent” and the ease with which he hacked into three government systems underscored how the court viewed the capability involved even while imposing probation.