Idaho hacker sentenced for breaching Georgia medical clinic, police department computers

ATLANTA - An Idaho man, Robert Purbeck, 45, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for hacking computer servers across the U.S., including a Georgia medical clinic and police department, stealing personal information from over 132,000 individuals.

In 2017, Purbeck hacked into a Griffin medical clinic, stealing sensitive information for over 43,000 people. The following year, he accessed the City of Newnan’s Police Department server, obtaining police reports and personal data for more than 14,000 individuals. Purbeck used stolen credentials purchased on a darknet marketplace to carry out the attacks.

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He also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in 2018, demanding Bitcoin in exchange for stolen patient records and threatening to sell the personal data of the orthodontist’s child.

The FBI seized Purbeck’s devices during a 2019 search, uncovering data breaches involving more than 132,000 victims. He pleaded guilty earlier this year and was ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution in addition to his prison sentence.

The FBI Atlanta Field Office led the investigation, with U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan emphasizing the importance of protecting personal information from cybercriminals.