TalkTalk hacker’s parents sentenced for moving son’s stolen cryptocurrency

The parents of Elliot Gunton, the 20-year old that hacked TalkTalk and EtherDelta, traded cryptocurrency, and sold stolen data on the dark web have landed themselves in hot water after trying to help their son.

Gunton’s mother and father have each been served suspended prison sentences for transferring their son’s ill-gotten cryptocurrency during the authorities’ investigation, Eastern Daily Press reports.

A hardware wallet was seized by police when Gunton was arrested in June 2018. It was not initially accessible but the perpetrator provided the 24-word seed phrase a few months later in September.

According to the report, the authorities were keeping tabs on Gunton’s internet-enabled devices, which led investigating officers to suspect that something wasn’t as it should be.

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In August 2018, police found that £200,000 ($245,000) had been transferred. After police visited each of Gunton’s parents houses, who are separated, the cryptocurrency was transferred back.

The prosecution says it was Elliot Gunton’s father, Jason Gunton, that carried out the transfer. All the while, Gunton Jnr, still held in prison, was unawares of his parents’ actions.

A 24-word seed phrase was found in the waste paper basket of Carlie Gunton, Elliot’s mother. It’s unclear how she came to be in possession of the information.

Carlie Gunton admitted to transferring criminal property, and has been handed a three-month prison sentence suspended for one year. Jason Gunton admitted to the same charge along with perverting the course of justice, he’s been handed a five-month prison sentence also suspended for one year.

Gunton was given a 20-month prison sentence which has already been served, and has also been ordered to pay over £400,000 ($491,000).

Last week, the UK police sold some of Gunton’s seized Bitcoin raising £300,000 ($369,000). It sold the Bitcoin, on average, for £6,798.80 per coin, at the time the price of one BTC was £6,512 ($8,012).

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