War Games: FBI arrests men who hacked into Army computers to steal helicopter simulators and Call of Duty ahead of its release

FBI agents claim gang hacked a top-secret US Army helicopter simulator



The software is used to train pilots fly the Apache AH-64D gunship

Court documents claim the men also hacked pre-release versions of popular games

One of the accused allegedly built his own counterfeit Xbox One using stolen data

FBI waited eight months before moving in on the three-man gang

Two of the alleged gang have yet to be identified according to prosecutors



FBI agents have arrested three men who they claim hacked top-secret US Army helicopter simulator software as well as pre-release computer games such as 'Call of Duty' on the Microsoft Xbox game system.



The group has been charged with breaking into the computer systems and stealing the data, which included simulation software from the fearsome Apache attack helicopter.



Court documents show that one of the men is alleged to have used stolen technical details to create his own counterfeit Microsoft Xbox One machine which he later sold on eBay for $5,000.

The FBI has charged (right) Sanadodeh Nesheiwat, 28, and (left) Nathan Leroux with 15 felony charges including computer hacking after the gang allegedly breached a US Army helicopter simulator to steal the software to create a counterfeit Microsoft Xbox version of Call of Duty



The men, Sanadodeh Nesheiwat, 28, from New Jersey, Nathan Leroux, 19, from Wisconsin and Canadian resident David Pokora are facing 15 felony charges of conspiracy, fraud and computer hacking following a major FBI investigation.

FBI agents believe that a man from North Carolina and an Australian teenager were also involved in the high-tech scheme.



The US Army contracted Zombie Studios to develop simulation software to help train pilots to use the Apache helicopter (pictured)

The three men were named by federal prosecutors in a sealed indictment which has just been released.



The 54-page document was published by The Smoking Gun after the three men were charged.



The case was brought before a grand jury in July 2013 at the US District Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

It is understood that the FBI waited eight months before serving arrest warrants on Nesheiwat, Leroux and Pokora.



The FBI claims the three men used information stolen from Microsoft to make their own counterfeit Xbox One console

Prosecution documents claim the three men targeted 'network weak points' to gain illegal access to computer systems. The men are accused of hacking into Microsoft as well as several computer game developers including Valve Corporation, Activision Blizzard, Zombie Studios and Epic Games.

Prosecutors believe the men accessed the networks in a bid to illegally download games that were still in development including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.



The FBI claim the three men hacked various computer networks to download pre-release versions of popular games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (pictured)

Later, after breaching the Zombie Studios secure network network, prosecutors allege the men then were able to access the AH-64D Apache Simulator programme. It is understood the US Army contracted the Seattle based games company to develop the training software.



The FBI believe that the men were involved in the scheme between 2011 and 2012 while Microsoft had its new Xbox One game system under development.

It is understood the men used the 'internal design and technical specifications and pre-release operating system software code' to build their own counterfeit machine which they sold on eBay for $5,000.



The indictment claims that Leroux then allegedly attempted to build a second counterfeit xBox.



The court documents show the FBI had the cooperation of one individual described in court documents as 'Person A' from Delaware. He claims Leroux gave him a counterfeit console which he was due to post to the Republic of Seychelles.



The indictment said 'Person A' had a Skype conversation with Pokora who asked him for assistance on encrypting his hard drive. Pokora is alleged to have asked: 'I need your help. I'm going to get arrested.'



In a second call, Pokora is claimed to have said: 'If we do this right, we will make a million dollars each.'