Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter, brothers, were charged on November 13, 2025, with plotting to steal confidential data from the US government. After being fired from their jobs as federal contractors, these brothers, who had worked for the company Opexus, used artificial intelligence to erase 96 government databases, including systems connected to Homeland Security and other sensitive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) files.
The brothers’ past—they filed guilty pleas to federal charges in 2015 for hacking a cosmetics company and the U.S. Department of State—increases the gravity of the problem. While his brother Sohaib Akhter faces a far lower potential term of six years, Muneeb Akhter faces a maximum of 45 years in jail, including at least two years for each identity theft conviction. Both appeared in court on Wednesday, and detention hearings are scheduled for this Friday.
Akhter’s brother’s situation
Two 34-year-old siblings who lived in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A., successfully erased databases soon after being dismissed from their positions as federal contractors. It is important to understand the chronology of the story as it could perfectly be a movie script. Muneed and Sohaib Akhter served was contractors for an organization referred to as “Company 1” in the legal records. A prior report by Bloomberg names it as Opexus, a company located in Washington that offers software and services to federal agencies and created the Freedom of Information Act (FOIAXpress) request portal. On Febreudary 18, the got a call notifying them of their dismissal, at about 4:50 PM.
Five minutes later, Sohaib attempted to connect to Opexus’ network but was unsuccessful due to the deactivation of his Windows account and VPN. At that point, Muneeb, his brother, who was still connected to the company’s network, gained access to the Homeland Security database, prevented other users from accessing it, and erased it. He asked the artificial intelligence “how do I clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases” in an attempt to hide his tracks. The complaint alleges 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”.
Criminal record
Opeux never said why the brothers were fired, but it is thought that their criminal backgrounds may have been the cause. Both entered guilty pleas in 2015 to criminal charges pertaining to hacking a cosmetics firm and the US Department.
Legal consequences
Both are currently in custody and have their detention hearings set for this Friday, though the chargers differ. Muneeb is charged with conspiracy to engage in compute fraud and destroy records, two instances of computer fraud, theft os U.S governmental records, and two charges of aggravated identity theft. He is expected to receive a required minimum sentence of two years in prison for every count of aggravated identity theft and maximum sentence of 45 years in prison for the additional charges. On the other hand, Sohaib is charged with Conspiracy to commit computer fraud and destroy evidence, as well as computer fraud (password trafficking), with a maximum penalty of 6 years imprisonment.
What is the company’s response?
“The security of our customers’ information is our highest priority and we are thankful that these individuals are being held accountable,” an Opeux representative said in a statement to The Register. Just as we have supported our consumers since the incident, we will continue to fully support the process as it proceeds. We’ve learned a lot from this incident, and we’ve taken significant action to improve the security of the data we manage both now and in the future. We’re still dedicated to providing our clients with the best security and support possible”.
Frequently asked questions
Why were the brothers fired?
Opeux never said why the brothers were fired, but it is thought that their criminal backgrounds may have been the cause. Both entered guilty pleas in 2015 to criminal charges pertaining to hacking a cosmetics firm and the US Department.
When will the brothers be tried?
Both are currently in custody and have their detention hearings set for this Friday.