Barrett Brown

For the wrestler, see NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.

Barrett Brown
Brown in 2017
Born
Barrett Lancaster Brown

(1981-08-14) August 14, 1981 (age 43)
Dallas, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Journalist, activist
Years active2010-2020
OrganizationAnonymous
Criminal chargesThreatening a federal officer, obstruction of justice, and accessory after the fact (2014), intentional harassment, alarm or distress (2021)
Criminal penalty63 months in federal prison, $890,250 in fines and restitution (2014), £1,200 fine (2021)

Barrett Lancaster Brown (born August 14, 1981) is an American activist, and a former[1] journalist, essayist, and associate of Anonymous. He has described himself as an "anarchist revolutionary with a lust for insurgency" who "wanted to become famous for overthrowing things."[1]

In 2010, he founded Project PM, a group that used a wiki to analyze leaks concerning the military-industrial complex. It was classified a "criminal organization" by the Department of Justice.[2][3][4] In January 2015, Brown was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for the crimes of accessory after the fact, obstruction of justice, and threatening a federal officer stemming from the FBI's investigation into the 2012 Stratfor email leak. As part of his sentence, Brown was also required to pay almost $900,000 to Stratfor in restitution.[5][6]

In late 2020, Brown restarted Project PM and claimed asylum in the UK on the basis that he had been persecuted in the US for his journalism.[7] Brown's asylum was denied in February 2024.[8] Brown says in 2021 he overheard officers discussing sealed charges in the US against him when he was arrested in London for allegedly overstaying his visa and incitement offenses.[7][9] He was convicted of causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress.[10]

Brown has been praised for his columns and writing, and bringing people together in activism. The Associated Press called him "a gifted writer in the tradition of William Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson" who had "a knack for self-sabotage and has struggled with heroin addiction and depression."[1] He has been criticised as "a paranoid junkie riding political persecution and old glories", and for allegations of harassing women online, which he denies. Some have said Brown's behavior is "a result of addiction, paranoia, PTSD and not enough postprison support".[8][11][12]

  1. ^ a b c Bajak, Frank. "Book Review: Gonzo journalist Barrett Brown's memoir a piquant take on hacktivism's rise". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  2. ^ Zaitchik, Alexander (September 5, 2013). "Barrett Brown Faces 105 Years in Jail". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Brandom, Russell (January 22, 2015). "Barrett Brown has been sentenced to 63 months in prison". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Peterson, Andrea (December 6, 2021). "Barrett Brown, writer with ties to Anonymous, sentenced to more than five years in prison". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Silverman, Jacob (February 20, 2024). "The Ballad of Barrett Brown". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Ex-Anonymous Insider Sentenced to 105 Years in Prison | Barrett Brown, June 9, 2022, archived from the original on June 10, 2022, retrieved June 10, 2022
  10. ^ Carter, Simone. "Dallas Journalist Barrett Brown Convicted in U.K. for Holding 'KILL COPS' Banner". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Berlin, Alexandra (January 17, 2020). "(S+) Anonymous-Gesicht Barrett Brown: Der Mann hinter der Maske". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  12. ^ Brown, Barrett (July 9, 2024). My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous. MCD/Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-21701-3.