Did a Scottish hacker really find evidence of extraterrestrial technology in Pentagon computers?
In short: Gary McKinnon, a systems administrator, was accused of the biggest military computer hack in history. He claimed his intrusion into 97 US military and NASA systems was a quest to uncover suppressed free energy and UFO data. The resulting decade-long legal battle over his extradition became a major international controversy.
Between February 2001 and March 2002, Gary McKinnon, operating from a London home, accessed 97 United States military and NASA computers. US authorities alleged that he deleted critical operating system files, effectively disabling 2,000 computers in the Military District of Washington for 24 hours. Furthermore, he was accused of deleting weapons logs at the Earle Naval Weapons Station, which paralyzed munitions deliveries for the Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The US government estimated the cost of correcting this damage at over $700,000.
McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome and suffers from depressive illness, maintained that his actions were motivated by a desire to find evidence of UFOs and antigravity technology. He claimed to have investigated a NASA photographic expert's assertion that images were routinely scrubbed of UFO evidence at the Johnson Space Center. McKinnon stated he once viewed a cigar-shaped object floating above the northern hemisphere but failed to capture the image because he was bedazzled by the sight.
Following a 2002 indictment in Virginia, McKinnon faced seven counts of computer-related crime, potentially carrying a 70-year prison sentence. His case sparked widespread public support from figures like Sting, David Gilmour, and Stephen Fry, who argued he should be tried in the UK. In 2012, Home Secretary Theresa May blocked his extradition, citing the high risk of suicide. Ultimately, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided against a domestic trial, citing the difficulty of building a case and the likelihood of acquittal.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Gary McKinnon
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