2 men arrested, charged with hacking senior U.S officials

Two North Carolina men were arrested Thursday and charged in connection with a computer hacker network that allegedly targeted CIA Director John Brennan and other senior government officials.

Federal prosecutors in Alexandria said Andrew Otto Boggs, 22, known online as “INCURSIO,” of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and Justin Gray Liverman, 24, also known as “D3F4ULT,” of Morehead City, North Carolina, were charged and will make initial appearances next week.

Prosecutors say Boggs and Liverman were members of a hacking group called “Crackas With Attitude.” Beginning in October, the hackers gained access to personal online accounts of senior U.S. government officials. The officials are not identified in a 37-page affidavit.

Earlier this year, British authorities arrested a 16-year-old boy who they said used the name “Cracka” to target Brennan and others. The affidavit cites email exchanges in which Boggs tells another individual, “I want to carry on (Cracka’s) legacy if or when he is arrested. I know he’ll receive a harsh sentence because our government doesn’t like being embarrassed.”

According to the affidavit, Boggs and Liverman lived in their respective parents’ homes. They used the hacked accounts to send harassing messages to their victims.

While Brennan is not named in the affidavit, he appears to be “Victim 1.” The affidavit states that Victim 1’s emails were released by WikiLeaks on Oct. 21, 2015, which corresponds with a WikiLeaks disclosure pertaining to Brennan.

In one exchange, Boggs tells “Cracka” that he wants to hack Victim 1’s agency because “I’ve been looking for evidence of aliens,” according to the affidavit.

Authorities also accuse the hackers of calling in a false bomb threat to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office in Florida earlier this year.

Online court records do not list attorneys for Boggs or Liverman.