Maxwell Schultz, a 35-year-old former IT contractor from Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to computer fraud after hacking his ex-employer’s network following his termination on May 14, 2021. Using another contractor’s identity, he ran a PowerShell script that forced password resets for 2,500 employees, locking them out and causing $862,000 in damages, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
His act of digital revenge disrupted the company’s operations nationwide and shows the serious consequences of retaliatory cyberattacks. Schultz now faces up to ten years in prison for his deliberate and costly actions, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Schultz’s hack caused employee downtime, disrupted customer service, and required extensive work to restore the company’s network. He admitted that he carried out the hack after being fired. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal will sentence him on January 30, 2026, and he may face a fine of up to $250,000. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Michael Chu are prosecuting, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
