
Security researcher MalwareTech pleads guilty - leotravis10
https://www.zdnet.com/article/security-researcher-malwaretech-pleads-guilty/
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tptacek
You can read Attachment A of the plea agreement to see an overview of the
DOJ's case. It does not seem weak.

[https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wied.77855/...](https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wied.77855/gov.uscourts.wied.77855.124.0.pdf)

In particular: they have multiple sources who communicated directly with
Hutchins about selling Kronos, and selling Kronos through his co-conspirator
Vinnie. Those sources provided online chat transcripts. They also have a
partial confession from Hutchins on the day of his arrest.

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ccnafr
I have a feeling this guilty plea is not actually a "guilty" plea, and more of
"let's get it over with."

The guy has always called the charges "bullshit" and was asking for donations
to keep up with legal costs.

This isn't how a legal system is supposed to work. You don't take a guilty
plea because you run out of money.

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asdfasgasdgasdg
> I have a feeling this guilty plea is not actually a "guilty" plea, and more
> of "let's get it over with."

On what basis did you form this opinion? Presumably more than just the say-so
of the accused.

> This isn't how a legal system is supposed to work. You don't take a guilty
> plea because you run out of money.

But that's not how it works. You have a right to be represented by an
attorney. That's why the state and federal governments maintain a system of
talented-if-overworked public defenders.

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tptacek
Hutchins was represented by a whole team of lawyers including Marcia Hofmann,
whose name is on the plea agreement. He did not rely on a public defender.

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jlgaddis
A few friends and myself chipped in some money for his legal defense, taking
hin at his word when he said he was innocent.

Lesson learned, I suppose.

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leotravis10
In any case, this sends a clear message that attending US cybersecurity
conferences are now a huge risk for foreigners, which means there's a
opportunity for either European or Canadian versions of these conferences or
create a alternative to them. Been saying this for years and it's no different
here.

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781
You heard about when FBI tips various national EU police and together they go
and arrest the hacker on EU territory, right?

One example:

> _Five individuals have been arrested as part of an investigation into two
> major ransomware families - CTB-Locker and Cerber - that spread across
> Europe and the U.S. in recent years. All suspects were arrested in Romania,
> Europol announced Wednesday, as six properties were searched as part of a
> major global police operation involving the FBI and the UK National Crime
> Agency, as well as Romanian and Dutch investigators._

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ga-vu
Prison is supposed to be a punishment for people to reform their lifes.

This guy was already on the good path already. I hope he gets a suspended
sentence.

