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US Piles New Charges on Marcus Hutchins (aka MalwareTech) (bleepingcomputer.com)

Posted by msmash on from the freefall dept.

British cyber-security researcher Marcus Hutchins, who has been credited with stopping the spread of WannaCry, is now facing four more charges related to separate malware he is alleged to have created. BleepingComputer reports: According to court documents, the new charges are for allegedly creating another piece of malware and for lying to the FBI. Hutchins had previously been accused of creating and selling the Kronos banking trojan last year. But in a superseding indictment filed this week, U.S. prosecutors claim Hutchins also coded and sold another piece of malware called the UPAS Kit. According to US prosecutors, UPAS Kit "used a form grabber and web injects to intercept and collect personal information from a protected computer," and "allowed for the unauthorized exfiltration of information from protected computers." The U.S. government claims Hutchins sold this second malware strain in July 2012 to a person going by the online pseudonym of Aurora123, who later infected US users. Hutchins expressed disappointment on the development, tweeting, "Spend months and $100k+ fighting this case, then they go and reset the clock by adding even more bullshit charges like 'lying to the FBI.' We require more minerals." In a subsequent tweet, he requested people to help him with the cost of legal proceedings.

6 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. "Lying to the FBI" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Lying to the FBI" is what you get charged with when they can't find anything else.

    Hell, they'll even manufacture a claim of "witness tampering" over a one-minute phone call and a text saying "We need to talk".

    1. Re:"Lying to the FBI" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Lying to the FBI" is what you get charged with when they can't find anything else.

      Or, you know, when you've been found to have lied to the FBI -- which is an actual crime.

      Hell, they'll even manufacture a claim of "witness tampering" over a one-minute phone call and a text saying "We need to talk".

      If someone is a witness for the case against you, and you know this, saying "we need to talk" is illegal. That's actual witness tampering ... again, an actual crime, because you are barred from communicating with them precisely to prevent you from trying to get your stories straight.

      You seem to be suggesting that actual crimes shouldn't be treated as actual crimes. Which tells me you've drank way too much of the kool-aid.

      So, ask yourself this in your twisted little partisan mind ... if the tables were turned, and your 'crooked Hillary' was caught lying to the FBI and trying to get together with witnesses against her ... would you be saying the same thing? My guess is no, you'd be shrieking loudly about how she'd breaking the law.

      If you think it's only legal when your team is the one committing the crimes, you're a fucking moron.

      The only ones defending lying to the FBI and witness tampering are the ones who think the law doesn't apply to them. Fuck those people, they're so fucking crooked it isn't funny.

  2. Lying to FBI: one reason you Never Talk to Police by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The "Lying to the FBI" (or other lying to cops) charge is one of the several reasons you Never Talk to Police.

    See the above video for a law professor's lecture on many more.

    Instead you ALWAYS exercise your Fifth Amendment privilege to remain silent. ESPECIALLY if you're innocent. ANYTHING you tell them "can and will be used against you".

    Even if it's true, somebody else may have told them something conflicting - through error or malice - and the police and prosecutors may then decide you're lying. Bingo: Both a criminal charge and the burden of proof switches from them proving you're guilty to you proving you're innocent.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  3. Re:Lying to FBI: one reason you Never Talk to Poli by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Constitution applies to all people on US soil, not just citizens.

  4. Re:Stop making him out to be a hero by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 2, Insightful

    *allegedly* I understand that the lying new-speak fascists and bible-banging evangelical death cultist fucktards now run the US, but we still have the concept of "innocent until proven guilty"

    You've ... got a little froth right there ... on the corner ... thought you might want to know.

  5. Re:Lying to FBI: one reason you Never Talk to Poli by XXongo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Constitution applies to all people on US soil, not just citizens.

    Except the ones accused of being terrorists, or knowing terrorists, or living in an area where terrorists were once suspected to also live. They don't get rights. Especially not the parts about "speedy trial" and the right "to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation" (6th amendment).