Teen Accused of 2023 Vegas Casino Cyberattacks Released to his Parents
Posted on: September 24, 2025, 09:49h.
Last updated on: September 24, 2025, 09:49h.
A teenager accused of taking part in the 2023 cyberattacks against two major Las Vegas casino operators was released from a juvenile detention center to his parents after his initial court appearance on Wednesday.
The youth — who cannot be identified by court officials unless he is tried as an adult — turned himself in on September 17 at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center.
Family Court Judge Dee Smart Butler required the 17-year-old, who prosecutors said lives in Chicago, to remain in Clark County under parental supervision. His access to electronics and the internet is heavily restricted — only for schoolwork or when accompanied by a parent. Prosecutors noted the suspect was just 15 years old at the time of the alleged offenses.
Prosecutors claim the suspect — who they believe is linked to a cybercriminal hacking collective known by the names Scattered Spider, Octo Tempest, UNC3944 and 0ktapus — participated in the cyberattacks on MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment between August and October 2023, though they did not name the casino companies in court.
Caesars reportedly paid $15 million in ransom, while MGM suffered reported losing $110 million due to the attack in an SEC filing.
Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Clarke said the suspect may still possess around $1.8 million in bitcoin linked to the attacks, though its location remains unknown. She argued for continued detention, citing the millions of dollars in damages and compromised personal data — including more than 65,000 Social Security numbers.
“The level of sophistication he possesses and the criminal acts he is capable of cannot be overlooked by this court,” she told the court. “We don’t know what subject has access to, who he has access to, or how he has access to it.”
She also revealed that the FBI had executed search warrants at the teen’s Illinois residence in December 2023 and again in February 2025.
Defense attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld opposed Clarke’s request, emphasizing the teen’s lack of prior criminal history.
Judge Butler sided with the defense, noting that the teen’s parents and grandmother would remain with him at a temporary rental in Clark County. She ordered “intense” supervision and warned that any violation would result in detention.
The suspect faces six felony charges: three counts of obtaining and using personal identifying information to harm or impersonate another person; one count of extortion; one count of conspiracy to commit extortion; and one count of unlawful acts regarding computers.
Prosecutors announced plans to pursue additional charges and to try the teen as an adult, with a decision expected at a hearing in November.
In July 2024, authorities arrested another 17-year-old in England in connection with the attacks.
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