Journalist found guilty for aiding computer hackers may get 25 years

Former Reuters journalist, Matthew Keys, may be sentenced to 25 years in jail after he was found guilty on three criminal counts for giving Anonymous hackers access to the Los Angeles Times website.

The 28-year-old was indicted in 2013, for conspiring to damage its computers; and for transmitting and attempting to transmit malicious code in December 2010.

Matthew Keys, former deputy social media editor for Reuters.com, is seen in his online profile in this undated photo. REUTERS/Staff

A story on the Tribune's Los Angeles Times website was later altered by one of the Anonymous group hackers.

Keys shared his thoughts during a telephone interview with The Washington Post hours after his conviction, saying:

"It's bulls—t," he said. "The verdict is bulls—t, the case is bulls—t, the charges are bulls—t. It's all bulls—t."

Keys and his attorney, Jay Leiderman, say they will appeal the decision.

"He shouldn't be doing a day in jail," Leiderman told the Los Angeles Times.

"With love and respect, [The Times'] story was defaced for 40 minutes when someone found it and fixed it in three minutes. What do you want, a year a minute?"

The accusations state that Keys entered an Anonymous-affiliated chatroom and gave out a username and password.

He then told them to "go f--- some sh-- up".

The group then proceeded to do so on the Los Angeles Times website.

The indictment offered a glimpse into the conversation between Keys, said to use the handle "AESCracked", and "Sharpie", an FBI informant.

Keys insists it wasn't him and claims they targeted him as a criminal.

"Let's be clear: I never passed a username or password to Anonymous," he said.

A spokesman for Tribune, Gary Weitman, disagrees saying:

“We are pleased that the justice system worked. We will let today’s verdict speak for itself.”

Attorney Benjamin Wagner said the case had only drawn in so much attention because of his recent employment news in the media.

The Justice Department has not determined what sentence it will request, but it will likely be less than five years, spokeswoman Lauren Horwood said.

Matthew Keys walks to the federal courthouse for his arraignment with his attorney Jason Leiderman, in California, he was convicted on Wednesday. Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli

Keys' lawyer had told jurors he was operating as a professional reporter trying to gather information about members of Anonymous, an amorphous group that often conducts multiple hacking campaigns at once.

A month after Keys was charged, he said Reuters dismissed him.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20 in Sacramento.

Morning news break - October 9