David Dorsett, Cyberattack Threats, Kansas 2014

A Wichita man has been sentenced for threatening cyberattacks against two websites critical of a local lawyer.

David Dorsett, a 37-year-old computer programmer from Wichita, was sentenced to three years of federal probation and a $2,000 fine for making extortionate threats via the internet, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

The threats were directed at two websites, leagle.com and RipoffReport.com, which had posted criticism of Wichita lawyer Brad Pistotnik. Dorsett billed Pistotnik for sending the threats and Pistotnik paid him by check the same day.

Pistotnik, who was also charged in the case, was sentenced in October 2019 to pay a $375,000 fine and $55,200 in restitution.

The case began in September 2014 when Dorsett offered Pistotnik reputation management services. Pistotnik met with Dorsett and showed him postings on the internet that Pistotnik wanted removed, including a Kansas Supreme Court disciplinary opinion for Pistotnik and a negative consumer review.

Email communications between Dorsett and Pistotnik showed Pistotnik saying, “Any luck removing that bad website I showed you?” and “tell me how we get rid of it.” Dorsett then sent a barrage of emails to the two websites demanding they remove the information critical of Pistotnik.

The emails read in part, “If you don’t remove it we will begin targeting your advertisers and explain that this will stop happening to them once they pull their ads…”

McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/computer-programmer-sentenced-cyberattack-threat-case