Assad-Linked Hacker Who Urged US Marines To Commit Treason Imprisoned

A Syrian hacker who targeted the U.S. Marine Corps and triggered a $136 billion Wall Street flash crash while working for former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been sentenced to federal prison.

Ahmad Umar Agha received a 42-month prison sentence for his role in a sweeping cyber conspiracy targeting approximately 47 Western organizations, including American government agencies and media outlets, according to a Thursday press release from the Department of Justice. The Assad-linked operation attempted to persuade American Marines to disobey orders, infiltrate White House social media accounts and spread disinformation that temporarily wiped over $100 billion from the value of stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

“Agha deployed his hacking skills in the service of Assad’s regime to silence reporting on the regime’s atrocities, intimidate its opponents, and incite U.S. servicemembers to refuse their orders”, said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg in the release. “His attacks on our networks and institutions, including one that temporarily erased $136 billion from U.S. investors, constitute an assault on the free press and our national and economic security. Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder of the National Security Division’s long memory in pursuit of state-sponsored hackers such as Agha.”

The DOJ did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Agha attempted on several occasions to gain access to the White House social media page, per the DOJ release. He hacked the Twitter account of the Associated Press, claiming that the then-president Obama was injured due to multiple explosions at the White House, leading to a $136 billion stock market drop.

He additionally gained access to the company hosting the Marine Corps recruitment website. He then redirected site visitors to a site encouraging Marines to refuse orders and fight for the Syrian Army, according to the statement.

“This case emphasizes the grave threat posed by cyber criminals and especially those serving regimes hostile to the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia said in the statement. “The protection of our electronic infrastructure, financial markets, and the companies that serve the American people is of paramount importance. We will pursue and prosecute anyone who endangers the systems that reinforce our national security or undermines the institutions on which our people rely.”