Adrian Lamo gained notoriety by entering corporate networks without authorization, including those of The New York Times, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and WorldCom. In February 2002, he accessed The New York Times’ internal network, added himself to its database of expert sources, and used the newspaper’s LexisNexis account to research subjects. After a 15-month federal investigation, Lamo surrendered to U.S. Marshals on September 9, 2003, and pleaded guilty on January 8, 2004, to a felony computer-crime charge covering intrusions involving Microsoft, LexisNexis, and The New York Times. In July 2004, he received two years’ probation, six months of home detention, and a $65,000 restitution order.
In May 2010, Lamo told U.S. Army investigators that Chelsea Manning had admitted leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive government files to WikiLeaks, including approximately 260,000 diplomatic cables and footage later called the “Collateral Murder” video. Lamo said he acted because he believed lives could be endangered; WikiLeaks and other hackers condemned him, while Project Vigilant head Chet Uber described the disclosure as patriotic. Manning was arrested, convicted in the military justice system, and sentenced to 35 years in prison; President Barack Obama later commuted the sentence to seven years including time served. Wired published the full Lamo–Manning chat logs on July 13, 2011, after journalist Glenn Greenwald accused the magazine of withholding evidence—an allegation Wired disputed.
