Anonymous Hacker Jeremy Hammond Pleads Not Guilty In NYC Hacking Case [REPORT]

Alleged hacker Jeremy Hammond appeared in court on Tuesday, May 15 to plead not guilty under charges of conspiracy to commit computer hacking among other allegations, but made no bail request, according to AP. Hammond's next court date is July 23.

Hammond is accused of stealing the personal information of over 850,000 people in a single attack on the Texas-based global intelligence company Strafor and using stolen credit card numbers to make purchases of at least $700,000. He apparently even bragged about hacking the personal data of a former U.S. vice president and one-time CIA director (George H.W. Bush?).

The prosecution has dug up semi-incriminating evidence from Hammond's past. The 27-year old hacker reportedly rallied against the 2016 Olympics in Chicago because he feared it would hurt low-income citizens. He also protested against neo-Nazis, his defense attorney Jim Fennerty argued.

Hammond's prosecutors describe him as a menace to society, and pointed to an alleged online chat as evidence, in which Hammond writes of Stratfor, Time to feast upon their [data].

The prosecution has also brought up Hammond's alleged status as a freegan (someone who eats food thrown away by other people and restaurants). The complaint also states that Hammond is a self-described anarchist communist who uses online aliases including crediblethreat and yohoho. Don't forget Anarchaos, burn, POW, ghost, and anarchaker, among others.

In a 2005 feature from the Chicago Reader he described himself as a hacktivist, and claimed he could program a video game before he was 10 years old. He also created HackThisSite.org, which is described as a free, safe and legal training ground for hackers to test and expand their hacking skills.

A website erected to raise money in his defense, freehammond.com, describes Hammond as one of the few true electronic Robin Hoods.

According to Hammond's defense attorney, Elizabeth Fink, told AP that her he is doing great.

We've provided him with a ton of books. He's having a good time reading.

The federal indictment, served up earlier this year, also charged four other alleged hackers, Ryan Ackroyd (a.k.a. kayla, lol, lolspoon), Jake Davis (a.k.a. topiary, atopiary), Darren Martyn (a.k.a. pwnsauce, raepsauce, networkkitten), and Donncha O'Cearrbhail (a.k.a. Palladium), with participating in cyber-attacks against InfraGard, Fox, Sony, HBGary Federal and PBS among other sites.

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