Man gets 3 years for hacking police websites

A 22-year-old Ohio man linked to the hacker collective Anonymous was sentenced Thursday to three years in federal prison for breaking into police-agency websites across the country.

Court records say John Anthony Borell III used Twitter to advertise his exploits to other members of the group.

A newlywed, Borell was given until Dec. 6 to turn himself in at a federal prison near his family in Toledo, Ohio.

He was arrested after taking down police-agency websites in Utah, California, New York and Missouri in January and February of 2012.

Borell pleaded guilty to in April and agreed to pay $227,000 in damages to that had to be repaired or beefed up for security.

Anonymous is a loosely organized group of Internet enthusiasts, pranksters and activists that has targeted organizations such as MasterCard and the Church of Scientology.

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Citation: Man gets 3 years for hacking police websites (2013, September 12) retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2013-09-years-hacking-police-websites.html
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