Matthew Keys, a deputy social media editor at Thomson Reuters, was charged with three counts of allegedly conspiring to help "Anonymous" hack into a Tribune Company website, where he was previously employed.
Politico reported Keys was a web producer for KTXL FOX 40, a television station based in Sacramento, California, owned by the Tribune Company.
He was charged with providing members of the hacker group with log-in information for a computer server belonging to the Tribune Co., according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
The Justice Department release said Keys was terminated from the job in late October 2010.
In December of that year, the indictment alleges "Keys identified himself on an Internet chat forum as a former Tribune Company employee and provided members of Anonymous with a login and password to the Tribune Company server. After providing log-in credentials, Keys allegedly encouraged the Anonymous members to disrupt the website" telling them to "go f**k some shit up."
One or possibly more of the hackers went on to log into the Tribune server and ultimately made changes to a version of the Los Angeles Times news feature.
According to the Huffington Post, on Dec. 14, 2010 a story titled "Pressure builds in House to pass tax-cut package" was renamed "Pressure builds in House to elect CHIPPY 1337" and there were other edits to the body of the piece.
Keys faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the three counts.
Keys is popular on social media, especially on Twitter, where he tweeted at 6:45 p.m. ET:
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