AGiantSchnauzer, aka Ronin, aka @Easymunny, has officially admitted to his role in the Bitcoin ETF SEC Twitter hack of 2024.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that Eric Council, Jr., a 25-year-old man from Athens, Alabama who goes by the aforementioned online handles, pleaded guilty yesterday to "conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud." The next step in the case is a sentencing hearing on May 16, when a federal district court judge will decide Council's fate. That judge could sentence Council to up to five years in prison.

CNBC reported on Council's plea.

Back in October, federal prosecutors indicted Council for his part in a scheme that involved the temporary takeover (through a SIM swap) of the SEC's X (Twitter) account on January 9, 2024, when someone tweeted out a message claiming that the SEC had approved spot bitcoin ETPs (more commonly known as bitcoin ETFs). Yet it wasn't until the next day that the SEC actually did grant such approval.

According to prosecutors, co-conspirators gave Council the info he needed to create a fake ID, so as to impersonate someone and gain access to their cell number to gain access to the SEC's X account. After that, prosecutors say, is when co-conspirators posted the fake tweet. For his part, the prosecutors add, Council was paid bitcoin. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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