A Pakistani journalist wearing a chain lock takes part in a protest rally against the amendments of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), in Peshawar, Pakistan, 01 February 2025. The PECA amendments, passed by the National Assembly on 23 January, makes changes to the country's cybercrime laws that would criminalize 'fake news' on social media platforms and have been criticized for potentially restricting press freedom. EPA-EFE/BILAWAL ARBAB 
Tyler Buchanan has been charged with offenses including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and was detained in California after a court appearance, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday evening. A lawyer for Buchanan could not be identified.
U.S. prosecutors announced criminal charges last year against Buchanan and four other alleged members of Scattered Spider, a loose-knit community of hackers suspected of breaking into dozens of U.S. companies to steal confidential information and cryptocurrency.
The group has been blamed for unusually aggressive cybercrime sprees, targeting major multinational companies as well as individual cryptocurrency investors.
Buchanan was arrested in June 2024 at an airport in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as he attempted to board a flight to Naples, Spanish authorities said at the time.
U.S. prosecutors have alleged that Buchanan and the other defendants conducted phishing attacks by sending bogus but real-looking mass text messages to employees' mobile phones warning that their accounts would be deactivated unless they clicked on a link that would surreptitiously grant system access to the hackers.
Scattered Spider drew notoriety in September 2023 when members broke into and locked up the networks of casino operators Caesars Entertainment CZR.O and MGM Resorts International MGM.N, and demanded hefty ransoms. Caesars paid about $15 million to restore its network.
It is unclear whether the five defendants were connected to the Scattered Spider's casino hacking.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Christopher Cushing)