An arrested man’s lawyer claims his client can’t be ShinyHunters’ leader. His argument wasn’t persuasive.

An article by DataBreaches[.]Net summarises a press conference held on 14 October 2025 in which the lawyer for the man France claims is ShinyHunters’ head argued that his client cannot be the group’s leader, a claim the lawyer said was not persuasive. According to the piece, neither France nor the arrested man’s attorney, Juan Branco, has disclosed the man’s name, so the public remains unsure who his client is.

During the briefing, Branco asserted various points, including that those arrested were young autistic people with technical talent who could benefit their country, and he claimed that fashion houses Kering and LVMH had pressured the government to make arrests, and that French law enforcement was taking orders from the FBI. The author notes that Branco also suggested that ShinyHunters activity after the arrests would undermine the idea that the client was the leader, a claim the piece questions as a defence.

The article references reporting from LeMagIT and discusses broader questions about who is actually in prison and whether the leader remains online, with the author indicating that earlier conclusions may have been premature.