By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The Justice Department announced a new indictment that alleges WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange recruited and conspired with computer hackers to provide information for hacking groups LulzSec and Anonymous.
The superseding indictment broadens the scope of the allegations against Assange but does not include additional charges beyond the 18 counts unsealed last year by the Justice Department.
The indictment accuses Assange of recruiting hackers at conferences and conspiring with other hacking groups to obtain classified information.
“In another communication, Assange told the LulzSec leader that the most impactful release of hacked materials would be from the CIA, NSA, or the New York Times. WikiLeaks obtained and published emails from a data breach committed against an American intelligence consulting company by an “Anonymous” and LulzSec-affiliated hacker,” the Justice Department says in a news release. “According to that hacker, Assange indirectly asked him to spam that victim company again.”
Assange faces up to 10 years in prison on each count, except for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assange is detained in the U.K on an extradition request from the U.S.
