Face of ‘Anonymous’ Hacking Group Indicted on Threats

DALLAS (CN) - The self-proclaimed spokesman for the Internet hacking group Anonymous faces charges that he threatened to shoot officers and bring down an FBI agent.

Barrett Lancaster Brown, 31, of Dallas, was indicted on one count of making an Internet threat, one count of conspiring to make restricted personal information of an employee of the United States publicly available, and one count of retaliation against a federal law enforcement officer.

Brown has been in federal custody since September. Thursday's indictment was the first explanation by federal authorities as to why he was arrested and held.

Prosecutors say that Brown posted several videos and messages on YouTube and Twitter between March and September "threatening to shoot and injure agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and specifically focusing on Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent [RS]."

Brown was apparently upset about federal agents confiscating his computer equipment and questioning his mother, according to the indictment.

In a self-shot video titled "Why I'm Going to Destroy FBI Agent [RS] Part Three: Revenge of the Lithe," Brown allegedly calls the agent a "fucking chicken shit little faggot cocksucker" and a "criminal, who is involved in a criminal conspiracy."

"Brown stated '[t]hat's why [RS]'s life is over, but when I say his life is over, I don't say I'm going to kill him, but I am going to ruin his life and look into his fucking kids,'" the indictment states. "Brown stated '[a]ny armed officials of the US government, particularly the FBI, will be regarded as potential Zeta assassin squads, and as the FBI and [Dallas Police Department] know ... I'm armed, that I come from a military family, that I was taught to shoot by a Vietnam vet and by my father a master hunter ... I will shoot all of them and kill all of them if they come."

Between March and September, Brown allegedly conspired to threaten and intimidate RS by making restricted personal information about the agent and his immediate family publicly available.

In September, Brown asked another person to help him find the restricted information online and that the unnamed person did conduct a search for the information, according to the indictment.

Brown's Twitter account also featured a suspicious repost on Sept. 10, according to the indictment

"A dead man can't leak stuff ... Illegally shoot the son of a bitch," Brown wrote, according to the indictment.

Brown faces up to five years in federal prison and $250,000 in fines for each of the Internet threat and conspiracy charges. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on the retaliation charge.

Follow @davejourno

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