Threat Management, Threat Management

Crook gets 20 years for literal domain hijacking at gunpoint

A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after giving a new meaning to the term domain-hijacking when attempting to forcibly steal a domain name from someone at gunpoint.

In June 2017 Sherman Hopkins, Jr., broke into the home of a Cedar Rapids, Iowa man and ordered him to log into their computer and transfer the domain name from “doitforstate.com” to another account, according to a DOJ press release. 

The victim was forced to turn on their computer, connect the device to the internet, and to follow a series of directions on how to change an Internet domain name from one GoDaddy account to another GoDaddy account.

“The victim asked Hopkins for a mailing address and phone number, because GoDaddy required the transferee's mailing address and phone number to effectuate the change of ownership of the domain name,” the release said, “Hopkins then pistol whipped the victim several times in the victim's head." 

Hopkins then tased the victim before a scuffle ensued in which Hopkins shot the victim in the leg before the victim wrestled the gun away from him and shot Hopkins multiple times in the chest. The victim then contacted the authorities.  

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