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Grimy Times Exclusive: Hacker Gets Five Years for Targeting Top Officials
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Justin G. Liverman, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina, is headed to federal prison for five years after admitting to a chilling conspiracy to hack and harass senior U.S. government officials. Liverman, operating under the online alias “D3F4ULT,” pleaded guilty in January to charges stemming from the activities of a group calling itself “Crackas With Attitude.” The group wasn’t about music; it was about digital terror, and Liverman was a key player.
The scheme, which began in November 2015, wasn’t just about gaining unauthorized access to accounts; it was a calculated campaign of intimidation. Liverman and his co-conspirators didn’t just steal data – they weaponized it. They publicly dumped stolen documents and personal information, sent threatening texts, and even orchestrated “phonebombing” attacks, flooding victims’ phones with menacing messages. The target list included families of government personnel, turning a professional attack into a deeply personal one.
The audacity of the group reached a new level when they leveraged compromised government credentials to infiltrate a confidential federal law enforcement database. Liverman then took the information on dozens of officers and posted it online, putting lives at risk. The damage wasn’t limited to emotional distress; the conspiracy caused over $1.5 million in losses to victims, a figure that doesn’t fully capture the cost of security breaches and eroded trust.
This wasn’t a lone wolf operation. Andrew Otto Boggs, 23, of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, received a two-year sentence in June for his role in the conspiracy. But the reach of “Crackas With Attitude” extends beyond U.S. borders. Authorities are currently prosecuting additional members of the group in the United Kingdom through the Crown Prosecution Service, indicating an international network of malicious actors.
The sentencing was announced by Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, alongside Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Brian J. Ebert of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song, Jay V. Prabhu, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph V. Longobardo. The FBI’s Charlotte Division and U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina provided crucial support during the investigation.
While Liverman’s five-year sentence sends a message, it’s a stark reminder of the vulnerability of even the most secure systems. The digital battlefield is constantly evolving, and groups like “Crackas With Attitude” prove that the threat isn’t just from nation-states, but from individuals driven by malice and a disturbing disregard for the rule of law. The case number for those seeking further details is 1:16-cr-313.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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