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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Austin Thompson, the Utah man who used the online handle DerpTrolling, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to denial-of-service attacks on gaming companies and servers. The sentence, announced July 2, 2019, also required him to pay $95,000 in restitution to Daybreak Games, formerly Sony Online Entertainment.
Who was DerpTrolling?
DerpTrolling was the Twitter handle used by Austin Thompson, who is identified in the U.S. Department of Justice announcements as a Utah resident. Thompson used the account to publicize attacks on gaming servers: he would announce an imminent attack and later post images, which the sentencing announcement called “scalps,” showing that servers had been taken offline.
The DOJ’s case summary says the attacks took place from December 2013 through January 2014 and were aimed mainly at online gaming companies and servers. It specifically names then-Sony Online Entertainment; the announcements do not provide a complete list of affected services. The DOJ’s plea announcement describes the attacks and their targets.
What did the attacks do?
The attacks were denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A DoS attack floods a system with traffic or requests so it cannot respond normally, preventing legitimate users from reaching it or causing it to crash. According to the DOJ, Thompson’s attacks took game servers and related computers around the world offline, often for hours.
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That disruption meant players could lose access to online games while affected servers were unavailable. The DOJ sentencing announcement quotes U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer saying, “Denial-of-service attacks cost businesses and individuals millions of dollars annually.” That was Brewer’s general statement about the harm caused by such attacks, not a calculation of the losses in Thompson’s case.
What was Thompson charged with?
On November 6, 2018, Thompson pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego to damaging a protected computer under 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A), a computer-hacking offense tied to the denial-of-service attacks. The DOJ’s plea announcement listed the charge’s maximum penalties as 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
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Those figures describe the maximum penalties listed in the 2018 announcement; they are not the sentence Thompson received. The DOJ’s plea release sets out the charge and those maximums.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What sentence did he receive?
On July 2, 2019, Thompson was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $95,000 in restitution to Daybreak Games, formerly Sony Online Entertainment. Restitution is money ordered to compensate a victim; the DOJ did not describe the $95,000 as a fine. The sentence was well below the 10-year statutory maximum listed when Thompson pleaded guilty.
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The sentencing announcement does not explain why the judge selected 27 months, and CyberScoop reported that its review of court records did not reveal the reason. The available public accounts establish the outcome, but they do not support an explanation for the judge’s choice. See the DOJ sentencing announcement and CyberScoop’s contemporaneous report.
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Case timeline
- December 2013–January 2014: The period covered by the attacks in Thompson’s plea agreement.
- November 6, 2018: The DOJ announced Thompson had pleaded guilty to damaging a protected computer.
- July 2, 2019: The DOJ announced the 27-month prison sentence and $95,000 restitution order to Daybreak Games.
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