The Department of Justice has announced charges against Aubrey Cottle, 37, of Oshawa, Ontario, for allegedly stealing data from the Texas Republican Party in 2021. Cottle was arrested by Canadian officials and is facing accusations under Canadian law.
The criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Texas, charges Cottle with illegal access to a third-party hosting company’s computer system, where he allegedly hacked and downloaded a backup of the web server for the Texas Republican Party. This server held personally identifiable information, which was allegedly leaked online. Cottle is believed to have confessed responsibility for the social media attack, and a search of his electronic devices turned up the stolen data.
Cottle is accused of illegally transferring, possessing, or utilizing a means of identification with the intent to commit or aid illicit action under state or federal law. If found guilty, he may face up to five years in prison, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas.
The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force is in charge of the investigation, with help from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Durham Regional Police Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan, who has received significant assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
The Department of Justice emphasizes that a complaint is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
