UK Hacker Ordered to Pay £100k After Stealing Unreleased Ed Sheeran Music And Selling Them For Bitcoin

A computer hacker from Ipswich, England, known as Adrian Kwiatkowski but operating under the alias ‘Spirdark,’ has been compelled to reimburse £100,000 after orchestrating a lucrative scheme involving the theft and sale of unreleased music from globally recognized recording artists.

His illicit activities, which involved trading the stolen tracks for cryptocurrency on the dark web, came to an end when authorities apprehended him.

In October of last year, Adrian Kwiatkowski, a resident of Ipswich, England, faced an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in stealing unreleased music from a multitude of high-profile artists, including the likes of Ed Sheeran and Lil Uzi Vert.

His nefarious enterprise involved gaining unauthorized access to private online accounts belonging to prominent management companies.

Astonishingly, when authorities examined Kwiatkowski’s hard drive, they uncovered a staggering collection of over 1,200 previously unreleased tracks.

Under the moniker ‘Spirdark,’ Kwiatkowski sold the stolen music for cryptocurrency on the dark web, amassing a substantial sum of more than £130,000.

However, his illicit activities didn’t go unnoticed. Reports of his actions reached law enforcement, leading to an extensive investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The investigation successfully traced the email address used to establish Spirdark’s cryptocurrency account back to Kwiatkowski’s home address in Ipswich.

Following the investigation, Kwiatkowski pleaded guilty to 14 counts of copyright offenses, three counts of computer misuse, and three offenses under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The severity of his actions was met with appropriate legal consequences.

In a significant development in the case, the court issued a confiscation order on May 26, 2023, requiring Kwiatkowski to repay £101,053 to the authorities.

He now has three months to fulfill this financial obligation. Failure to comply will result in an additional 18 months being added to his prison sentence.

Under the terms of the confiscation order, Kwiatkowski is mandated to surrender 2.64 bitcoin worth £49,528.

This landmark move marks the first instance of cryptocurrency confiscation by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

Additionally, he is required to relinquish £51,975 from his bank accounts. These measures ensure that Kwiatkowski cannot further benefit from the proceeds of his criminal activities.