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Feds: Homeless Computer Hacker Launched 'Anonymous' Attack Over Anti-Camping Law
A homeless man upset over an anti-camping law in Santa Cruz took part in a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the city's computer servers last December, the feds charged Thursday.
As we told you earlier today, the feds arrested two men for hacking attacks today: an Arizona 23-year-old who allegedly hacked into Sony's servers and a California man who Fox News reported is homeless.
The federal grand jury indictment out of San Jose is against 47-year-old Christopher Doyon along with Joshua John Covelli, who had been charged in the previous Anonymous round-up.
Federal authorities couldn't confirm that Doyon was homeless. "At this point, I can only confirm what is in the press release and the indictment and unfortunately the only information I have is that he is a resident of Mountain View," FBI spokeswoman Julie Sohn told TPM in an email.
But a quick Google search turns up a story mentioning Doyon as believing it was his "freedom and right" to sleep almost anywhere he wanted outdoors.
"We're not asking for money. We simply want them to lift the sleeping ban and let us sleep," he said, according to a local report. "It won't cost them a dime."
Doyon is charged with participating in a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against Santa Cruz County's computer servers on Dec. 16. The People's Liberation Front (PLF) allegedly coordinated and executed the attack, according to the feds. The feds explain in a press release:
The City of Santa Cruz enacted Section 6.36.010 of its Municipal Code, entitled "Camping Prohibited," which contained restrictions and definitions on camping within Santa Cruz City. In response to the enforcement of Section 6.36.010, protesters occupied the Santa Cruz County Courthouse premises from approximately July 4, 2011 to Oct. 2, 2011. Law enforcement officers from Santa Cruz County disbanded the protest and several protesters were charged with misdemeanors crimes in Santa Cruz County.In retribution for Santa Cruz City's enforcement of Section 6.36.010 of the Municipal Code, and Santa Cruz County's disbandment of the protest, the PLF co-ordinated and executed a DDoS attack against Santa Cruz County's computer servers. The PLF referred to these co-ordinated attacks as "Operation Peace Camp 2010." According to the indictment, as part of Operation Peace Camp 2010, Doyon, Covelli and others allegedly conspired to intentionally damage the protected computers hosting the website for the County of Santa Cruz.
Doyon, the feds said, appeared before a federal judge in San Jose today, where he was remanded and had a court date set for Sept. 29.
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