Lauri Love's Controversial Hacking Exploits And Legal Battle

Lauri Love is a British activist and hacker who was accused of breaking into US government websites and stealing confidential data. Love was arrested in 2013 and faced extradition to the US, but this was blocked by a UK court due to concerns about his physical and mental health, and the risk of suicide. Love has Asperger's syndrome and his lawyers argued that he should be tried in the UK. The case has been cited as a precedent for trying hacking suspects in their home country.

Lauri Love allegedly stole data from US agencies including NASA and the FBI

Lauri Love, a British activist and student from Suffolk, was accused of hacking into thousands of computer systems, including those of US agencies NASA, the FBI, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy, the US army, the US missile defence agency, and the environmental protection agency. Love allegedly stole confidential data and personal details of more than 5,000 servicemen and servicewomen and former government employees, including "numerous" NASA workers, in 10 separate online assaults.

Love was charged with one count of hacking into a US department or agency computer and one count of conspiring to do the same. He was also accused of causing millions of pounds of damage to the US government with a year-long hacking campaign waged from his home in Stradishall, a village in Suffolk.

Love allegedly used hidden online chats to plan the attacks, which were carried out after spotting vulnerabilities in US military websites. Love and his co-conspirators allegedly placed hidden "shells" or "back doors" within the hacked networks, allowing them to return and steal confidential data at a later date.

In chats published in the indictment, Love allegedly said: "We might be able to get at real confidential shit" and "You have no idea how much we can fuck with the US government if we wanted to." He also allegedly described the data as "really sensitive" and said, "It's basically every piece of information you'd need to do full identity theft on any employee or contractor for the [government agency]."

Love was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in October 2013 and released on bail until February. In July 2014, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) notified the NCA that they couldn't find enough evidence to lay a charge, and Love was released from bail. However, the NCA still had not returned some of his family's confiscated items as of 2015, as they hadn't been able to decrypt them.

In 2016, a judge initially ruled that Love could be extradited to the United States, but this decision was later overturned on appeal due to concerns about his physical and mental health. Love's lawyer argued that he had a long history of mental health issues and that extradition would be "oppressive". The high court ruling blocking extradition was welcomed by lawyers and human rights groups, who considered it a precedent for trying hacking suspects in the UK.

Love was accused of hacking and stealing data from the US Army

In 2013, Lauri Love was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and charged with hacking into thousands of computer systems, including those of the US Army, to steal confidential data. The investigation was led by the US Army's criminal investigation command. Love was accused of causing millions of pounds of damage to the US government with a year-long hacking campaign waged from his home in Stradishall, a village in Suffolk.

Love was charged with one count of hacking into a US department or agency computer and one count of conspiring to do the same. The indictment described him as a "sophisticated and prolific computer hacker" who targeted the computer networks of the US Army, US Missile Defence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA. It alleged that Love successfully stole the personal details of more than 5,000 servicemen, servicewomen, and former government employees, including "numerous" NASA workers, in 10 separate online assaults.

Love was also accused of using hidden online chats to plan the attacks and placing hidden "shells" or "back doors" within the hacked networks to return and steal data at a later date. In these chats, he allegedly told a co-conspirator, "We might be able to get at real confidential shit." In another chat, he said, "You have no idea how much we can fuck with the US government if we wanted to."

Love was indicted in the District of New Jersey in 2013 and the Southern District of New York and Eastern District of Virginia in 2014. He faced up to 10 years in a US prison if found guilty and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss from each of the two alleged offences.

In February 2018, a high court ruling blocked Love's extradition to the US, with the judge citing concerns about the conditions Love would endure in US jails and his risk of suicide.

He was charged by the US for his alleged activities with Anonymous

In January 2013, the website of the United States Sentencing Commission was replaced with a video protesting the treatment of activist Aaron Swartz, who had committed suicide days earlier. The video claimed that those responsible had obtained secrets from the United States Army, Missile Defense Agency, and NASA but they were only ever released in encrypted form. The subsequent investigation named Lauri Love in two indictments (2013 in the District of New Jersey, 2014 in the Southern District of New York and Eastern District of Virginia) for allegedly "breaching thousands of computer systems in the United States and elsewhere – including the computer networks of federal agencies – to steal massive quantities of confidential data".

Love was charged by the US for his alleged activities with Anonymous, specifically for his role in Operation Last Resort. He was accused of masterminding the 2013 attack on US government websites, stealing sensitive military data and personal information belonging to more than 100,000 government employees. He was wanted for crimes including conspiracy, fraud, and identity theft in three judicial US districts.

Love has not protested his innocence, but he points out that without seeing the evidence, which the US Department of Justice refuses to reveal until he is on US soil, he cannot say one way or the other. He had the means, motive, and opportunity to carry out the crimes of which he stands accused.

Love's extradition hearing took place at Westminster Magistrates' Court in September 2016. Love's defence team argued that US federal prisons are unable to meet the needs of someone with acute Asperger's. Love himself stated that he would commit suicide before being put on a plane to America.

In February 2018, the High Court upheld his appeal against extradition because his extradition would be "oppressive by reason of his physical and mental condition". Love's case has been cited as a precedent in the Julian Assange extradition proceedings.

Love was arrested by UK police at the behest of US authorities

In October 2013, Lauri Love, a British activist and alleged hacker, was arrested by UK police at the behest of US authorities. Love was accused of hacking and stealing data from the networks of US government agencies, including the FBI, the US Army, NASA, the US Federal Reserve, the Environmental Protection Agency, and others. US authorities claimed that Love was one of the most active hackers who participated in #OpLastResort, a hacktivist campaign carried out by the Anonymous collective in 2012 and 2013 as payback against the US government for the suicide of Aaron Schwartz.

Love was re-arrested in July 2015 pending an extradition order to the US. In October 2016, a Magistrate's Court ruled that Love could be extradited, and the following month, UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd signed the extradition order. Love's lawyers appealed, arguing that he should be tried in the UK and that he would be at risk of suicide if sent to the US due to his Asperger syndrome and other mental and physical health conditions.

In February 2018, the High Court blocked Love's extradition to the US, agreeing that it would be "oppressive by reason of his physical and mental condition." The court emphasized that Love should be prosecuted in the UK for the offences alleged against him. This ruling was welcomed by lawyers and human rights groups as setting a precedent for trying hacking suspects in the UK.

Despite the ruling, Love continued to face legal battles in the UK. In January 2025, he lost a bid to have computers and data storage cards seized by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2013 returned to him. The NCA stated that a UK investigation into Love was ongoing.

Love faced extradition to the US but this was blocked by UK courts

In 2013, Lauri Love was arrested by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) on suspicion of hacking into US government websites and intelligence agencies. In 2016, a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court ruled that Love could be extradited to the US. Love's legal team appealed the decision, arguing that he should be tried in the UK due to his medical conditions, which include Asperger's syndrome, eczema, psychosis, and severe depression.

In February 2018, the High Court blocked Love's extradition to the US. Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and Mr Justice Ouseley upheld Love's appeal, stating that extradition would be "oppressive by reason of his physical and mental condition." The judges cited concerns about the conditions Love would face in US jails, including the risk of solitary confinement and inadequate safeguarding procedures, which could lead to a high risk of suicide.

The High Court's decision set a precedent for trying hacking suspects in the UK, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) instructed to pursue charges against Love in the UK with the assistance of US authorities. The ruling was welcomed by Love, his legal team, and human rights groups, who emphasized the importance of trying vulnerable individuals in the country where the alleged offence took place.

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