Hacker Indicted for Targeting Websites He Found Objectionable

NEWARK—A Pennsylvania man charged by complaint in June 2009 with infecting computers with malicious software and using those computers to launch cyber attacks was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Bruce Raisley, 48, of Monaca, Pa., was indicted on computer hacking charges for targeting websites that carried articles that he found objectionable. To prevent others from viewing the websites, Raisley is alleged to have spread malicious software that helped him create an army of computers, or botnet, that he used to flood the victim websites with traffic. The attacks, known as distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, succeeded in taking some websites offline and limiting access to other websites, including Rolling Stone magazine’s website, as well as the Rick Ross Institute’s website and Corrupted Justice’s website.

As alleged in the underlying complaint, Raisley was a former volunteer of Perverted Justice, a group that sought to identify sexual predators. The articles that Raisley sought to prevent others from reading were published in the summer of 2007 and described an embarrassing situation involving Raisley and the leader of Perverted Justice. Shortly after their publication, Raisley is alleged to have launched his attacks.

An Indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This type of hacking carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count.

Fishman credited the Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun in Newark, with the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erez Liebermann in the U.S. Attorney’s Office Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property group, within the Commercial Crimes Unit.