New Mexico Man Admits to Cyber Attacks on Minnesota Courts
Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A New Mexico man has pleaded guilty to a federal cyber-crime charge for directing computer attacks against a number of websites throughout the United States, including the system used by the Minnesota State Courts.
55-year-old John Gammell also admitted to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm as a result of an investigation led by the FBI office in Minneapolis. Federal officials say Gammell has admitted to a series of so-called “denial of service” attacks that targeted his former employers, companies that refused to hire him, competitors of his business, along with a list of government organizations. Denial of service attacks on Minnesota’s court system last year resulted in extended outages that denied the public online access to court rulings, schedules, and other information. The list of Minnesota government websites hit by the cyber-attacks also included the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department, the Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Dakota County Technical College and Washburn County.
During a raid at Gammell’s property in New Mexico, investigators seized two firearms, parts to assemble an AR-15 assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
His sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.