British hacker “IntelBroker” charged in U.S. for multimillion-dollar global data theft scheme

A British national has been indicted in the United States for orchestrating a widespread cybercrime campaign that allegedly compromised sensitive data from organizations across the globe, inflicting an estimated $25 million in damages.

Federal prosecutors in New York on Wednesday unsealed a four-count indictment against 25-year-old Kai West, accusing him of using the online alias “IntelBroker” to infiltrate computer systems and sell stolen data on illicit platforms. The charges include conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and unauthorized access to protected computers. Three of the counts carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison each.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, West systematically breached networks belonging to government agencies, major corporations, critical infrastructure providers, and online platforms. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the stolen data—ranging from confidential health records to proprietary corporate files—was marketed and sold on the BreachForums marketplace, a known hub for cybercriminal activity.

West, described as one of the most prolific hackers in recent years, is allegedly behind major breaches involving Europol, General Electric, AMD, Nokia, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Weee!, and DC Health Link, among others. Prosecutors say his online activities under the IntelBroker persona have caused extensive financial and reputational harm to dozens of victims worldwide.

The indictment follows reports from French media that West was arrested in February 2025. U.S. authorities are now seeking his extradition to stand trial in New York.

Federal investigators were able to identify West after an undercover FBI agent purchased a stolen API key from IntelBroker in January 2023. The transaction was conducted via a Bitcoin wallet linked to the Ramp financial platform, which was registered using a UK driver’s license in West’s name. The same email address used for that account was also tied to a Coinbase profile under the alias "Kyle Northern"—a pseudonym previously associated with IntelBroker. The account contained university-related correspondence, payment records, and a copy of West’s license, all of which led investigators to confirm his true identity.