John Kelsey Gammell, Computer Attacks, New Mexico 2023

Grimy Times has learned that a New Mexico man, John Kelsey Gammell, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for directing computer attacks against the websites of dozens of victims and felon-in-possession charges.

Gammell, 41, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright of the District of Minnesota on [no date specified]. Restitution to the victims of his computer attacks will be determined at a later date.

Gammell pleaded guilty on January 17, to one count of conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer and two counts of being a felon-in-possession of a firearm.

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from at least in or about July 2015 through in or about March 2017, Gammell engaged in a campaign of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on websites throughout the United States.

Gammell directed DDoS attacks at a number of victims' websites, including websites operated by companies he used to work for, companies that declined to hire him, competitors of his business, and websites for law enforcement agencies and courts, among others.

Gammell admitted that he caused DDoS attacks by using computer programs on his own computers, as well as by directing 'DDoS-for-hire' companies from which he purchased services to launch the DDoS attacks. He purchased subscriptions to multiple DDoS-for-hire companies, including VDoS, CStress, Inboot, Booter.xyz, and IPStresser.

This case was investigated by the FBI's Minneapolis Field Office. Trial Attorney Aaron R. Cooper of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Rank of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/new-mexico-man-sentenced-15-years-prison-directing-computer-attacks-against-websites-dozens