Founding Member Of Lizard Squad Pleads Guilty To Cyber-Crimes, Jail Time Issued
Back in 2014, PlayStation and Xbox were subject to numerous cyber attacks from a hacker-for-hire group called Lizard Squad. The various DDOS attacks were supposedly a way to bring about awareness, but mostly was a way to amuse themselves. The following year the group took down the UK’s National Crime Agency’s website. The group was also responsible for breaching thousands of CCTV cameras in which to attack companies with. Now Zachary Buchta, one of the groups founding members, has plead guilty to his many crimes.
The 20 year old hacker is looking at a two and a half year sentence after agreeing to a plea deal which includes him cooperating with the authorities investigation. Failure to cooperate with the prosecutors could potentially extend the sentence up to 10 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit damage to protected computers. Alongside the sentence, Buchta will also be forced to pay $350,000 in restitution to two online gambling sites he helped target.
Buchta isn’t the the only member of Lizard Squad to be charged, a Dutch member is also being indicted by authorities in the Netherlands. A 61-page complaint claims that Buchta and his co-defendant in the Netherlands operated numerous websites in which people could pay a fee as little as $20 for their services by harassing people through spoofed phone numbers. Victims would receive calls hourly which contained the same expletive-filled message over and over.
Another affiliate in Finland was convicted for various crimes in Finland and sentenced to two years in prison back in 2015. The charges area a part of an international investigation and Buchta is the first among the Lizard Squad members charged in the US. It’s good to see justice served, but is it enough? Let us know your thoughts on the latest Lizard Squad indictments and more in the comments section below. As always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.
Chris Calles1560 Posts
Known as "Stash" or Yippee Calles. He's a student of everything, avid adrenaline junkie, and creator of random things. When he's not delving into a game, book, or movie - He's out teaching himself new things or taking part in some pretty epic adventures. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.
