An Ontario man who claims to have ties to hacktivist group Anonymous is facing charges in Canada and the United States in connection with a 2021 data theft from the Texas Republican Party.
Oshawa resident Aubrey Cottle, 37, who goes by the online alias “Kirtaner,” has been charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) as part of a cybercrime investigation and is also facing several charges in the United States.
The OPP has released limited information due to a publication ban, but the U.S. Attorney’s office in Texas said Cottle is suspected of unlawfully accessing a third-party hosting company’s computer system to alter and download a backup of the Texas Republican Party’s web server, which included personal identifying information.
“The information was distributed and made available for download online,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a press release. “Cottle allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.”
A search of Cottle’s electronic devices revealed he was in possession of the data stolen from the Texas Republican Party, U.S. authorities allege.
The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is investigating the case, with assistance from the OPP and the Durham Regional Police Service.
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Cottle has been charged in Ontario with mischief to computer data, unauthorized use of a computer, and possession of a device to obtain unauthorized use of a computer. He appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa on March 31, the OPP said.
Cottle has been charged by the U.S. Attorney’s office with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification with the intent to commit, or aid or abet, or in connection with, unlawful activity under state or federal law.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
Cottle previously claimed responsibility for the breach of GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site that was supporting a fundraiser for the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa as it protested against COVID-19 mandates in early 2022.
The breach exposed the names of donors, their personal details, and the amounts contributed to all campaigns hosted on the website.
He has yet to face charges in connection with the GiveSendGo breach. The Epoch Times contacted the authorities to discover if Cottle would also be charged in connection with the 2022 breach but did not receive a response by publication.
