The US Department of Justice announced that a Syrian hacker, who falsely tweeted about White House explosions via a news agency’s compromised Twitter account, received a 42-month prison sentence for his role in a hacking scheme tied to Syria’s Assad regime.
Cyber Attack on White House
Ahmad Umar Agha, known online as “Th3Pr0”, was sentenced by a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia for his central role in a hacking conspiracy linked to former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s inner circle. The scheme, active from August 2011 to January 2024, involved him hacking approximately 47 Western media outlets, businesses, NGOs, and US and allied government entities.
On April 23, 2013, Agha exploited his access to a reputable news agency’s Twitter account to falsely claim President Obama was injured in two explosions at the White House. The post triggered a temporary $136 billion drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. He later boasted in a Business Insider interview that the market plunge was the group’s “goal” and a “big victory.”
Hacking Targets and Consequences
The conspiracy sought to silence reporting on Assad regime atrocities and intimidate opponents. Agha breached the US Marine Corps’ recruitment website, redirecting visitors to a page urging Marines to refuse orders and join the Syrian Army. About 3,500 users encountered this message. He also attempted twice to seize the White House’s social media accounts, succeeding once to trick staff into surrendering access.
Court documents reveal significant cleanup costs for victims. One content supply company lost $35,000 daily for six months. A global NGO spent $480,000 on security upgrades, including new monitoring tools, staff retraining, and system overhauls.
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“This case emphasizes the grave threat posed by cyber criminals and especially those serving regimes hostile to the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos.
Legal Proceedings
Agha and co-conspirator Firas Dardar were first charged in 2014 and indicted in 2018. Peter Romar, another conspirator then residing in Germany, was extradited and pleaded guilty in 2016. Dardar remains at large.
The hacking campaign, orchestrated by Assad regime officials, aimed to undermine free press coverage of the Arab Spring and Syrian Civil War. Prosecutors noted the attackers targeted journalists and organizations critical of the regime.
Agha’s decade-long evasion ended with his 2023 arrest, leading to the sentencing. The DOJ highlighted the broader risks posed by state-sponsored cyber operations targeting democratic institutions and markets.
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