The "special projects" bit is a reference to an actual program run by the DOJ for the benefit of crime victims. It works with crime-adjacent professionals (i.e., therapists and funeral directors) to help crime victims cope with or recover from being victimized. But it doesn't work with defendants, and even if it did, working with the Special Projects group wouldn't allow a defendant to avoid a sentence; at best it would reduce time served.
Regardless, the OP's claims don't add up, since there weren't any DOJ press releases since 2020 for a computer crime where the defendant plead to a single charge and didn't serve time, and also happened to be a guy who is well-known in the Ruby community. (The guy doxxed in the dead comments was sentenced to several years in March and is currently serving in a federal penitentiary where he wouldn't have access to the Internet.)
Regardless, the OP's claims don't add up, since there weren't any DOJ press releases since 2020 for a computer crime where the defendant plead to a single charge and didn't serve time, and also happened to be a guy who is well-known in the Ruby community. (The guy doxxed in the dead comments was sentenced to several years in March and is currently serving in a federal penitentiary where he wouldn't have access to the Internet.)