Feds Tie ‘Scattered Spider’ Duo to $115M in Ransoms

U.S. prosecutors have charged 19-year-old Thalha Jubair and 18-year-old Owen Flowers in connection with Scattered Spider, a group prosecutors say extorted at least $115 million in ransom payments from victims. The charges emerged as Jubair and Flowers appeared in a London court, with UK prosecutors detailing alleged involvement in an August 2024 attack that disrupted Transport for London and other targeted organisations.

The United States complaint also alleges that Jubair and other Scattered Spider members were linked to attacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment in September 2023, and that Jubair’s cryptocurrency wallet helped fund illicit activity, including purchases tied to a food delivery service and online gaming accounts; authorities say they seized $36 million in cryptocurrency from a server tied to Jubair.

According to The Times of London, Flowers faces three charges under the Computer Misuse Act, while Jubair faces multiple charges in both the U.K. and the United States; the Times also notes a potential maximum of 95 years’ imprisonment if convicted in the U.S. In July 2025, the UK banned ransom payments by most organisations in critical infrastructure, with broader prohibitions announced for the public sector.