Scattered Spider Hacker Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Noah Michael Urban, the 20-year-old Florida man better known as “King Bob” in online music communities, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft charges.

The Palm Coast resident was also ordered to pay $13 million in restitution to 59 victims of cryptocurrency theft linked to his involvement with the notorious “Scattered Spider” cybercrime organization.

The Rise and Fall of King Bob

Urban gained widespread notoriety in the music industry for leaking unreleased tracks from major artists including Playboi Carti, Ariana Grande, and Lil Uzi Vert.

Operating under aliases such as “King Bob,” “Sosa,” and “Elijah,” he built what he claimed was a vault containing over 2,000 stolen songs.

His leaks disrupted carefully planned album releases, with Ariana Grande expressing her frustration in September 2023, stating the leaks were “so disheartening” and asking people to “please please stop”.

The music leaks were reportedly obtained through sophisticated cybercrime tactics, including SIM swapping attacks that allowed Urban to access music industry executives’ accounts.

His leaked catalog included high-profile tracks such as Playboi Carti’s “24 Songs,” “Celine,” and “She Might,” which he occasionally sold privately for substantial sums—one track reportedly fetching $30,000.

Scattered Spider Operations

Beyond music piracy, Urban was identified as a key member of Scattered Spider, a cybercriminal organization that specializes in social engineering attacks targeting major corporations.

The group gained international attention for their 2023 attacks on Las Vegas casinos MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, which resulted in millions in damages and ransom payments.

Federal prosecutors revealed that Urban and his co-conspirators operated a sophisticated cryptocurrency theft scheme between August 2022 and March 2023.

Using SIM swapping techniques, they stole victims’ personal information and arranged for their cell phone numbers to be transferred to phones controlled by the criminals.

This allowed them to reset passwords and bypass two-factor authentication on cryptocurrency accounts, stealing at least $800,000 from five victims in Florida alone.

The Investigation and Arrest

Urban’s criminal activities came to light during a federal investigation that led to his arrest in January 2024.

During the raid on his Palm Coast home, authorities seized $27,702 in cash, jewelry, six watches, and approximately $2.89 million in cryptocurrency assets from his desktop computer—funds that had grown to $3.67 million by October 2024 due to cryptocurrency market fluctuations.

In a May 2023 interview with investigators, Urban admitted to personally making “several million dollars” through cryptocurrency theft between January 2021 and March 2023.

He told authorities that most of his profits were lost to online gambling, while keeping “a few million” on his desktop computer.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Urban pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges in both Florida and California cases in April 2025.

Despite federal prosecutors requesting an eight-year sentence and the defense requesting five years, U.S. District Judge sentenced Urban to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

The $13 million restitution order covers victims from both federal cases, representing one of the largest individual restitution amounts in recent cybercrime prosecutions.

As part of his plea agreement, Urban agreed to forfeit various cryptocurrency holdings, including Dai, Ethereum, Monero, Bitcoin, and Ripple assets.

Urban’s case represents the first major sentencing of a Scattered Spider member, as federal authorities continue pursuing other members of the organization.

The group’s tactics, which combine social engineering with technical sophistication, have made them one of the most dangerous cybercrime organizations currently operating

The case highlights the evolving intersection of entertainment industry piracy and serious cybercrime, demonstrating how individuals can transition from seemingly harmless music leaking to participating in international criminal enterprises that cause millions in damages to both individual victims and major corporations.

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