Skip to main content

FBI raided two Chicago homes in iCloud celebrity nude hack investigation

icloud celebrity hack chicago homes raided
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Thanks to recently disclosed federal documents related to the nude celebrity iCloud hackings that took place last summer, it’s now clear that FBI agents were able to track the breach, leading them to two Chicago residences.

One alleged source of the attack was an IP address connected to Emilio Herrera, according to TechSpot. Following this discovery, a warrant was executed on October 16, 2014, only a month after the photos were exposed online. The IP address associated with Herrera was apparently responsible for the violation of 572 iCloud accounts, which were accessed a total of 3,263 times. Many of these were “accounts of celebrities who had photos leaked online,” according to the warrant application reported on by Gawker.

Herrera isn’t the only one under federal scrutiny, however. A second home was later raided by FBI agents claiming that the computers inside were used to access 330 different iCloud accounts without authorization from the respective proprietors. Furthermore, the FBI has actually performed several other investigations related to the hack as well, according to CNN.

“These are a series of unconnected guys conducting relatively unsophisticated hacking,” a law enforcement officer told CNN. He subsequently clarified by mentioning that the perpetrators were members of an online network where they collectively exchanged nude photographs of mostly female celebrities, Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton being notable examples.

In the aftermath of the searches, federal investigators seized several household items including two desktop computers, a laptop, two cell phones, a Kindle Fire, an MP3 player, hard drives, flash drives, and, oddly enough, two floppy disks.

The released documents, while abstaining from mentioning specific names, do address victims by initials. For instance, “J.L.” — presumably referring to Jennifer Lawrence — seemed to have suffered from an anxiety attack while participating in an interview with federal authorities.

Since the case is still considered ongoing, no criminal charges have been filed. That being said, the direction of the search for the culprit of the 2014 “Celebgate” scandal currently remains uncertain.

Gabe Carey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9 heavily discounted today
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's Surface devices are well known for their versatility and performance, but they command premium prices. That's why there's always high demand for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals, as who doesn't want to enjoy a discount when making a huge investment? If you're interested, Best Buy is offering the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 at $300 off, which brings its price down to $1,000 from $1,300, and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 at $540 off, which lowers its price also to $1,000 from $1,540, ahead of the arrival of the consumer versions of the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10. You need to push through with your transaction as soon as possible if either of these bargains caught your attention, as we're not sure how much time is remaining before they disappear.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 -- $1,000, was $1,300

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a traditional Windows 11 laptop that's powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 Evo processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. It won't match up to the performance of the best laptops, but it's going to be more than enough to handle daily tasks for work or school. The laptop features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with vibrant colors and sharp details, a battery that can last up to 18 hours on a single charge, and a 512GB SSD that provides ample storage space for your files. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 also comes with a 720p webcam and dual far-field Studio Mics for clear video calls.

Read more
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
9 best laptops of 2024: tested and reviewed
The MacBook Air on a white table.

To earn the crown as the best laptop in 2024, a device needs to have it all: gorgeous design, killer performance, a productive keyboard, long-lasting battery life, and much more.

Each of the laptops below has been vetted thoroughly by Digital Trends. Whether it's an affordable Chromebook or a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, they've all been subjected to real-world testing, as well as benchmark and battery tests, to collect enough data to objectively pit them against each other.

Read more