Group says it hacked websites of U.S. law enforcement agencies

A group of online hackers says it has gained access to more than 70 law enforcement agency websites in the United States, obtaining emails, credit card information and other sensitive data in retaliation for the arrests of alleged members in the U.S. and England.

The group, called AntiSec, said Saturday that it had breached 10 gigabytes of sensitive data from the agencies. AntiSec is composed of members from two separate hacking groups, Anonymous and LulzSec.

AntiSec said its cyber-attack affected agencies in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi. The group launched similar attacks against law enforcement in Arizona in June.

“A week after we defaced and destroyed the websites of over 70 law enforcement agencies, we are releasing a massive amount of confidential information that is sure to embarass, discredit and incriminate police officers across the US,” AntiSec said in a statement posted on a file-sharing site where it has previously released stolen material.

FBI officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the group’s claims.

Jake Davis, an 18-year-old suspected to be a hacker affiliated with Anonymous and LulzSec, was arrested July 31 in London. Scotland Yard has said it believes Davis is “Topiary,” a hacker who has acted as a spokesman for the groups.

Davis was released on bail last week, but a London court ordered that he be prohibited from using the Internet.

Many of the law enforcement agencies had no immediate comment on the hackings, while others expressed confusion as to what information had been accessed.

In Mississippi, the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office was aware that its website was down, but did not know much beyond that, said Lt. Persundra Jones.

“We don’t know what’s really going on,” Jones said. “We have no idea.”

In Mississippi’s Tishomingo County, sheriff’s officials alerted the FBI and the company that oversees the website, which promptly shut it down, said dispatcher Edric Parish.

nathan.olivarezgiles@latimes.com

Times staff writer Stephen Ceasar contributed to this report.