British Man Charged With Hacking US Networks Arrested

Brits Arrest Alleged Fed Reserve HackerU.S. Demands Extradition of Suspect in Multiple Govt. HacksMathew J.

A vicar’s son accused of hacking into U.S. government computers has been arrested on an extradition warrant.

At the time of his arrest, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said the computer breach included personal information belonging to USA servicemen and women as well as military data.

Lauri Love, 29, was arrested in Stradishall, England on an extradition warrant issued by federal prosecutors in the USA, authorities say. Under Britain’s Computer Misuse Act, individuals can be prosecuted for launching hack attacks from the United Kingdom against other countries.

He was initially indicted in the U.S.in 2012 and 2013 for cracking the systems, The Guardian reported.

Lauri Love, 30, of Stradishall in Suffolk, faces charges in the U.S. of hacking into agencies including the US Army, Nasa and the US Federal Reserve.

After the recent arrest Love appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, but was bailed until the start of September, where he will face further hearings.

Love is also said to have bragged in messages with his co-conspirators: “You have no idea how much we can f*** with the United States government if we wanted to”.

He used the online moniker “peace” and is alleged to boasted to others in a chat room that he had ‘shelled, ‘ or infiltrated, the Federal Reserve computer system, one indictment reads, according to the Daily Mail.

Mr Love was first arrested in 2013 and had computer equipment seized by British police who then released him on bail.

NCA appeared to be reluctant to return his property apparently because it was unable to decrypt some of his files. And even if they do extradite him, the process may take years.

Whether any moves to block extradition will be successful is a matter for the court to decide, though it is interesting to note that Todner represented Gary McKinnon who successfully fought a ten year battle against extradition to the USA – over accusations of breaking into military computer systems in 2002.

May made the move on human rights grounds because of medical reports warning that McKinnon, who has Asperger’s syndrome and suffers from depressive illness, could kill himself if sent to the US.