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Thread: FBI Raid Silences Teen Anarchist's Site

  1. #1
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    Post FBI Raid Silences Teen Anarchist's Site

    I just found this very interesting and thought others may also... incase u dont go searchin for news here ya go ->

    FBI Raid Silences Teen Anarchist's Site
    By Brian McWilliams, Newsbytes
    SHERMAN OAKS, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.,
    31 Jan 2002, 12:15 AM CST


    In a case that may test limits on Internet free speech in the wake of Sept. 11, armed federal agents last week raided the home of a Los Angeles teenager suspected of hacking into several Web sites to post anarchist messages and using his own site, Raisethefist.com, to publish bomb-making information.
    Sherman Martin Austin, 18, is believed to have violated federal computer fraud and abuse laws, as well as statutes prohibiting the distribution of bomb-making information, according to an FBI affidavit.

    FBI agents conducted the raid on the afternoon of Jan. 24 at the Sherman Oaks residence owned by Austin's mother after receiving a federal warrant. The agents seized several computers and documents, according to an FBI spokesperson.

    In an interview Wednesday, Austin told Newsbytes he was interrogated for more than six hours but has not yet been charged with any crimes.

    According to Austin, all of the site's files, which were dedicated to "the anti-corporate globalization movement," were lost as a result of the raid. The site had received approximately 700 unique visitors each day, he said.

    "I think they are a bunch of cheap shots, surrounding and raiding my house with machine guns, shotguns, bullet-proof vests. They had more artillery than they use with wanted gang felons or raids on drug operations," said Austin.

    Matthew McLaughlin, a representative of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, confirmed that agents who conducted the search were heavily armed.

    "This is Los Angeles after all. We always go in to protect ourselves. We don't go in with slingshots," said McLaughlin.

    A message at the Raisethefist.com site today described the raid and said the incident was proof that "anyone actively disagreeing with policies of the U.S is now automatically rendered a 'terrorist' in the eyes of national security."

    Following the Sept.11 attacks on America, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which expand the ability of law enforcement to hunt for terrorists.

    "People can rant and rave on the Internet all they want, but when they cross the line of calling people to action to violently overthrow the Constitution of the United States, they have a problem," said McLaughlin.

    According to the FBI, Austin allegedly defaced at least five commercial Web sites since 1999 using the nickname "Ucaun." On three of the sites, Austin left behind a hacking program named troop.cgi that was designed to attempt to log in to a computer operated by the U.S. Army, the FBI affidavit stated.

    In the interview, Austin acknowledged that he vandalized the Web sites and that he knew it was illegal to do so. But he defended the act by saying it was necessary to get his message out.

    Copies of several of the defaced pages are accessible using the cache stored by the Google search engine. The defacements contain white and red text on a black background, with the title "Hacked by the UCA - Underground Confidential Association" and a verbose screed about overthrowing the government and building a "New World Order."

    According to the FBI, Austin operated Raisethefist.com as well as a site for his fledgling Web development business, 2CP.com, from computers in his home connected to the Internet by DSL.

    Copies of the site's pages cached by Google include instructions on how to make explosives from pipes, fertilizer, and match heads.

    In the interview, Austin said he did not write the bomb instructions but instead copied the pages from another site.

    Another page, entitled "Hacking," notes that the Department of Defense and other government agencies are dependent upon information technology and are therefore vulnerable to computer attacks.

    "But how many of us are really willing to engage in such an intense form of warfare through bauds and wires? Who's got the balls? Who's willing to sacrifice everything?" said the page.

    The domain registration record for Raisethefist.com lists Austin as the administrative, technical, and billing contact for the site. Austin said he "made up" the name listed as the site's registrant, Joseph Parker, "for security reasons" and noted that he has received threats because of the site's anti-government message.

    According to Austin, he has been targeted by the government simply because he advocates social justice.

    "If I go to jail, then I will go to jail not based on my actions, but based on what I think," he said.

    Raise The Fist is at http://www.raisethefist.com .

    Reported by Newsbytes, http://www.newsbytes.com .

    (20020130/WIRES TOP, ONLINE, LEGAL/FBI/PHOTO)
    [shadow]i have a herd of 1337 sheep[/shadow]
    Worth should be judged on quality... Not apperance... Anyone can sell you **** inside a pretty box.. The only real gift then is the box..

  2. #2
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    That's pretty week. <looks over his shoulder to make sure that big brother isn't watching>
    Alternate realities celebrate reality. If you cant handle the reality your in, then you wont be able to handle the one your attempting to escape to.

  3. #3
    AO Curmudgeon rcgreen's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    Much has been said about this sort of event.
    Doubtless, much more will be said.
    You have some free speech issues,
    and some maturity issues...
    I came in to the world with nothing. I still have most of it.

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    Red face

    i must agree, we have to watch what we have on our computers at all time.. or what we let others know we have.. and always use software to do its best to delete files to make sure thier un-recoverable incase we had stuff we shouldnt ...

    i basicly got rid of my old hard drive and got a new one and made sure i dont keep anything illegal on it.. even MP3's because theres no point in gettin busted for sumthin as stupid as that
    [shadow]i have a herd of 1337 sheep[/shadow]
    Worth should be judged on quality... Not apperance... Anyone can sell you **** inside a pretty box.. The only real gift then is the box..

  5. #5
    Fastest Thing Alive s0nIc's Avatar
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    I still dont know why they have to use so much artilery just to arrest a hacker... what are they scared of, da kidd might throw them razor sharp floppy disks? or asult them with the keyboard?? lolz

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    I know that this is done "to protect people", but the path to hell is paved with good intentions.

  7. #7
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    da kidd might throw them razor sharp floppy disks? or asult them with the keyboard??
    Ha ha! How many hackers have ever been charged with murder? Or even assault!

    The hypocrites in government strike again! The bill of rites allows free speech, but the anarchists are silent. They have the same as rights as normal people do right? Apparently not...
    Why am I still here?

  8. #8
    AO Curmudgeon rcgreen's Avatar
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    Thumbs up

    They probably just want to "scare' him
    a little. They don't have much of a case,
    just defacing those sites. The rest is BS.
    It's his own fault though. He's got no life.
    Probably got six computers,running linux,
    no girl friend...
    I came in to the world with nothing. I still have most of it.

  9. #9
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    This is exactly why you should purchase my Disk O' Flame (TM) service. With the press of a button or a simple voice command, Disk O' Flame instantly sends your hard drive(s) and any disks and/or cd's contained in a specially equipped box into meltdown. The secret lies in thermite packets stored on top of your HD and lining the specially equiped CD/disk containers. For only $19.95 + $4.95 for each CD/disk container, which covers installation and materials, you too can have this same setup. Call now and we'll throw in two containers for free! Act now, the government won't let this product stay on the market for long.

  10. #10
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    If he didn't want them to access his hard drive, why didn't he just install WinME?

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