AUSTIN (KXAN) — Unsealed federal court records revealed “a security researcher and co-founder of Anonymous,” which is a worldwide hacking group, has been arrested in Canada and accused of allegedly hacking the Texas GOP website (texasgop.org) on Sept. 11, 2021.
According to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Aubrey Cottle, 37, is being charged with “unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law.
No attorney has been listed for Cottle at this time. The charges were filed in Austin federal court.
Federal records state the hackers claimed to be with the group known as “Anonymous,” who replaced the website’s banner with cartoon characters, a pornographic image, and a music video and gained unauthorized access to Texas GOP data.
“Cottle allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media,” according to court records.
Court records show the Federal Bureau of Investigation worked with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Canada, to execute a search warrant at Cottle’s residence, where they seized approximately 20 terabytes of data.
A search of the digital evidence revealed Cottle was in possession of the data stolen from the Texas GOP, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
If convicted, Cottle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the DOJ.
