On November 13, 2025, brothers Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter were accused of conspiring to remove sensitive information from the United States government. These brothers, who had been employees of the company Opexus, deleted 96 government databases, including systems linked to Homeland Security and other sensitive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) files, with the help of artificial intelligence, after being fired from their positions as federal contractors.
The severity of the matter is even greater considering the brothers’ background, as in 2015 they pleaded guilty to federal charges for hacking the U.S. Department of State and a cosmetics company. Muneeb Akhter faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison plus a minimum of two years for each count of identity theft, while his brother Sohaib Akhter faces a much lower maximum sentence of 6 years. Both appeared in court on Wednesday and have detention hearings scheduled for Friday.
Akhter brother’s case
As if it were something out of a movie, two 34-year-old brothers living in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, managed to delete databases shortly after being fired from their jobs as federal contractors. Let’s go in chronological order to understand what happened. Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter worked as contractors for a company identified as “Company 1” in the court documents. A previous Bloomberg report identifies it as Opexus, a Washington-based company that provides software and services to federal agencies and developed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIAXpress) request portal. On February 18, they received a call informing them of their termination, around 4:50 PM.
Just five minutes later, Sohaib tried to access Opexus’ network but failed because his VPN and Windows account had been deactivated. It was then when his brother, Muneeb, who was still connected to the company’s network, accessed the Homeland Security database, blocked access to other users, and deleted it. To cover his tracks, he asked the artificial intelligence for help, asking it, “how do I clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases.” The accusation states that “When the Defendants did not know the necessary database commands to achieve their illegal goals, they used an artificial intelligence tool to help them”.
What consequences does it have for the brothers
Both are in custody and have detention hearings scheduled for this Friday, but the charges are different. Muneeb faces charges of Conspiracy to commit computer fraud and destroy records, two counts of computer fraud, theft of U.S. government records, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He is estimated to face a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft and a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison for the remaining charges. On the other hand, Sohaib faces charges of Conspiracy to commit computer fraud and destroy records, and computer fraud (password trafficking), and his maximum sentence would be 6 years in prison.
What has the company said about this?
Opeux’s spokesperson issued a statement to The Register in which they made the following remarks: “The security of our customers’ information is our highest priority and we are thankful that these individuals are being held accountable. We will continue to fully support the process as it moves forward, just as we have supported our customers since the incident occurred. We have learned a great deal from this incident and have taken meaningful steps to strengthen the security of the information we handle now and, in the future, and we remain committed to supporting our customers’ critical needs with best-in-class security and service.”
Criminal record
Although Opus never stated that the brothers were fired, it is believed that the reason could have been the discovery of their criminal records. In 2015, both pleaded guilty to federal charges related to hacking the United States department and a cosmetics company.
Frequently asked questions
Which company was affected?
At first it was adressed as “Company 1” in the court documents, but a Bloomberg’s report identifies it as Opexus, a Washington-based company that provides software and services to federal agencies and developed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIAXpress) request portal.
Why were the brothers fired?
The company has never revealed the reason why they were fired, but it is said that it had to do with the discovery of their criminal record.