DOJ charged Peter Stokes, 19, in the Northern District of Illinois with conspiracy, computer intrusion, and fraud, unsealing a complaint the day after Finnish police extradited him to Chicago. Stokes, a dual U.S.-Estonian citizen who went by “Bouquet” and “Jordan,” is accused of running with Scattered Spider since the group formed in 2022, a crew the Justice Department says has hit more than 100 companies and extorted over $100 million worldwide.
Finnish police grabbed him on April 10, mid-boarding for a flight to Japan, carrying two hard drives investigators call incriminating. He was still a minor when Microsoft identified him in an October 2024 criminal referral, per court records, and prosecutors waited until he turned 18 to move. He made his initial appearance in Chicago on Tuesday and was ordered held.
“These charges underscore our unwavering commitment to keeping pace with technologically savvy criminal actors,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said, pointing to intrusions Stokes allegedly ran against a luxury jewelry retailer and a U.S. insurance company in 2025.
Stokes’ social media reads like a travel influencer’s: stays in Paris, Dubai, and New Mexico, a diamond chain spelling “Hack the Planet,” a father who was formerly an executive at two major European companies. It matches the profile investigators have described across the whole crew. Scattered Spider draws young, native English-speaking members.
Stokes hasn’t entered a plea on the complaint. Arraignment in the Northern District of Illinois is next. Being underage didn’t spare him a federal case. It only delayed it.
James Okafor