Man sentenced for trying to extort orthodontist

A man in Idaho was sentenced on November 13 for attempting to extort cryptocurrency from a Florida orthodontist in exchange for not disclosing stolen patient records and other sensitive information, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Robert Purbeck, 45, who pleaded guilty in March to two counts of intentionally accessing and obtaining information from a protected computer without authorization, was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus three years of supervised release. Also, Purbeck, of Meridian, ID, was ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution, according to a press release dated November 13 from the DOJ Office of Public Affairs.

In addition to reportedly extorting the orthodontist, Purbeck is accused of hacking into the computer servers of 19 victims across the U.S. and stealing the personal data of more than 145,000 people.

In July 2018, Purbeck purportedly demanded a ransom payment in cryptocurrency from an orthodontist in Florida in exchange for his stolen patient files. Purbeck allegedly threatened to sell the data, including that of the orthodontist's minor child, if the ransom wasn't paid. For 10 days, Purbeck allegedly harassed the orthodontist and his patients by sending numerous threatening emails and texts, according to the release.

Additionally, Purbeck reportedly bought access to a computer server of a medical clinic in Griffin, GA, and the Newnan Police Department, also in Georgia, on a dark web marketplace. Furthermore, Purbeck purportedly used stolen credentials to illegally access the computers and remove patient personal information from the clinic, as well as police reports and other documents from the department's computers, according to the release.

In August 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at Purbeck's home and seized multiple computers and electronic devices that contained individuals' stolen personal information.