14 DAY TRIAL // Members of a hack crew called the “Elektronic Tribulation Army” (ETA) had their homes raided by the FBI, after they harassed a security researcher who serves as a witness in a case against their friend. The search warrants were issued on the suspicion of obstruction of justice and witness intimidation.
The FBI obtained search warrants for computer equipment and other evidence at the residences Benjamin Earnest Nichols, aka Fixer, one Kevin Allen Gibbs, aka dev//null, and William Houston Giles, aka Xon. All of them are members of a hacker group called the Elektronic Tribulation Army, which was previously run by Jesse William McGraw, aka GhostExodus, a hacker currently being prosecuted for installing malware on computers controlling critical systems at a hospital.
McGraw used to work at Carrell Clinic in Dallas, Texas, as a security guard. He came into the authorities' attention after a security research named Wesley McGrew (no name relation between the two), informed the police of a YouTube video showing the hacker installing malware on computers at an unknown institution.
The video proved out to have been shot at the hospital where McGraw worked nigh shifts. Authorities later determined that Carrell Clinic's computer network was riddled with malware installed by McGraw, including one computer which controlled the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system.
Wired reports that the search warrant affidavit cites obstruction of justice violations against McGraw and the three ETA members, who apparently harassed Wesley McGrew after the former was arrested. McGrew still serves as a witness in the case.
In addition, the search warrant affidavit reveals that the harassment involved Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against his computers, as well as threats expressed via email, instant messages and telephone. McGrew also noted that the ETA members put up an embarrassing website in his name and emailed it to his work colleagues at the Mississippi State University.
A search warrant was also served at the residence of Jessica Lee Jones, Jesse McGraw's sister, who is suspected of passing on messages on behalf of the hacker, alerting an ETA member that he was being investigated by the FBI. McGraw is scheduled to be sentenced in Dallas on September 16.
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