Back in 2022, Madison teen Joseph Garrison was questioned by Madison police in connection to bomb threats targeting local high schools, which he later pleaded guilty too. During that interview he revealed information about online hacking, months before being charged in a major federal case.
MADISON (WKOW) — An ABC News investigation is shedding light on the rise of teen hackers and how they are getting recruited.
One case referenced in the investigation that shows how quickly online activity can escalate happened in Madison.
In 2022, Joseph Garrison was a 17-year-old Madison teen. He was questioned by Madison police in connection to bomb threats targeting local high schools, which he later pleaded guilty to. In the June, 2022 interview with Madison PD, Garrison reveals information about online hacking, months before being charged in a major federal case.
From the start of the interview, Garrison jokes about testing the tech guy on his knowledge and offers information on his involvement with hacking.
“When I first got into GOAT Shop it wasn’t near as big as when I gave it to the person. I grew it a lot,” Garrison said.
Garrison explained that GOAT shop is a website he ran at one point, and that he would sell hacked account information through the website. He eventually sold it to someone else, but said at the peak he was making $15,000 a day.
In ABC’s investigation, they highlight the connection of gamers and hackers. Fergus Hay, CEO and Co-founder of ‘The Hacking Games,’ said in an interview with ABC, “Every hacker is a gamer.”
With Garrison it was a similar story: Fortnite.
“COP2: What got you into this?
JOSEPH: Fortnite accounts, back in 2018.
COP2: So you’re looking for ‘V-Bucks’?
JOSEPH: Yeah, pretty much.
COP2: Is this where this started.
JOSEPH: Pretty much. I wanted to have cool ‘skins.’”
His high level understanding of hacking made it almost too easy for Garrison, as he would quit at some points because he got bored.
“I got bored. Cause it’s just – I don’t know. I’ve been doing like, since 2018 for example I’ve been doing that…I don’t really have too many other like hobbies, and stuff like that, if that makes sense, cause that was my hobby,” Garrison said.
Garrison believed his part-time job was harder than hacking. “Like working at Walgreens is a lot harder than cracking some accounts,” Garrison said.
Months after this confession, Garrison played a role in hacking fantasy sports and betting website accounts and selling the accounts. Garrison pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Gracie Tuohy and Jake Eichstaedt discuss the Joseph Garrison hacking case and how it connects to a bigger trend of Gen Z hackers.
After a judicial review hearing in February, 2026, his supervised release was revoked and he was sent back to prison for nine months. The judge also ordered a 27-month period of supervised release after Garrison’s prison term.
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