Texas Man’s Online Activities Leads To Federal Indictment

DALLAS (AP) — A Dallas man whose online activities linked to hackers landed him under federal indictment is scheduled for sentencing in federal court.

Barrett Lancaster Brown will be sentenced Thursday in Dallas.

The 33-year-old Brown was a writer often quoted on the workings of Anonymous, the worldwide hacking collective that has staged cyber-attacks on governments and businesses.

He cultivated attention and followers on the Internet but came under federal investigation for posting a link to data stolen from an Austin, Texas-based defense contractor, Stratfor.

FBI agents arrested him two years ago, shortly after he posted YouTube videos threatening an agent by name.

He pleaded guilty in April to a greatly reduced set of charges but still faces more than eight years in prison.