Attorneys at Almeida Law Group are investigating whether a class action lawsuit can be filed on behalf of individuals affected by a possible Downrite Engineering data breach. According to dark web monitoring sources, a hacker group calling itself thegentlemen claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Downrite Engineering in a post first observed in September 2026, alleging it had gained access to internal company systems. As of this writing, Downrite Engineering has not issued a public confirmation of the incident, and the exact scope of any exposed data remains unknown. If you believe you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Downrite Engineering
Downrite Engineering Corporation is a South Florida construction and land development contractor that has been active since 1982. According to its own website, the company provides total land development and site preparation services, including water and sewer, drainage, excavation, lift stations, asphalt, curbing, sidewalk, and guardrail installation. Its LinkedIn profile lists principals Sam and Joe LoBue, Jr. and describes a workforce of more than 400 employees with heavy construction equipment. The company operates across South Florida, including the West Palm Beach, Miami, and Naples areas.
What Happened?
On September 15th, 2026, Ransomware.live reported that The Gentlemen ransomware group claimed Downrite Engineering as a victim, with an estimated attack date of September 14th, 2026. This is an unverified, attacker-side allegation. No independent corroborating source has confirmed the claim, and Downrite Engineering has made no public statement about any incident. The claim was also indexed by automated breach-monitoring services HackNotice and RecentBreaches.com, but those listings derive from the same dark-web leak-site source and do not constitute independent confirmation. No data types were specified in the claim, so what information, if any, was accessed or exfiltrated is unknown.
It is also worth noting that the ransomware group’s leak-site description of Downrite Engineering contains details — including the name of the owning family, headquarters location, and employee count — that conflict with the company’s own website and LinkedIn profile. The attacker’s description may conflate separate entities or rely on inaccurate business intelligence, and readers should treat it accordingly.
The Gentlemen is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that emerged around mid-2025. It uses dual-extortion tactics, meaning it claims to steal data before encrypting systems, and it deploys a Go-based locker targeting Windows, Linux, NAS, and BSD systems. As of August 2026, Bitsight reported the group’s activity had increased by approximately 2,100% compared to its typical level, with more than 1,570 linked victims identified after a compromised command-and-control server was analyzed. The group has been reported to specifically target manufacturing, construction, and healthcare environments.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Downrite Engineering Corporation
- Industry: Construction / Land Development / Site Preparation
- Location: South Florida, Florida, United States
- Incident type: Ransomware leak-site allegation (unverified dark-web claim)
- Date of breach: Estimated September 14th, 2026 (attacker claim only)
- Date breach discovered: September 15th, 2026 (claim first observed)
- Source: Ransomware.live — Victim: Downrite Engineering; Bitsight — The Gentlemen Threat Actor Profile; Check Point Research — DFIR Report: The Gentlemen; Downrite Engineering — Official Website
What Should You Do?
Even though no specific data types have been identified in connection with this alleged incident, it is prudent to take protective steps now. Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to make it harder for anyone to open new accounts in your name. You can request your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and review them carefully for unfamiliar accounts or activity. Monitor your existing financial accounts closely for any unauthorized transactions. If identity theft does occur, the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov provides step-by-step recovery guidance.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
