LulzSec hacker 'Sabu' gets six-month sentencing delay

Arrested LulzSec member Sabu - Hector Xavier Monsegur to use his real name - has apparently been rewarded for providing evidence against the hacking group with a six-month adjournment of his sentencing, court papers have revealed.

Picked up by Wired, the letter shows that 28-year old Monsegur will now be sentenced on 22 February 2013 on 12 hacking and fraud charges to which he has already pleaded guilty.

The letter doesn't explain whether the adjournment is a direct result of his cooperation but given his guilty plea to the long list of charges such a delay would be unusual.

Information supplied by Monsegur was a critical factor that led to the arrests of several other LulzSec members, including alleged UK members Jake Davis ('Topiary'), and Ryan Cleary, who have pleaded guilty to some charges, and Ryan Ackroyd, who with an unnamed 17-year-old has denied involvement. The men will go to trial for the outstanding charges in April 2013.

Although 'Sabu' was the most aggressive voice of the group, it transpired that he had in fact 'turned' and had been working as an informant for some months before the unravelling of the rest of the group during 2011.

This was underlined earlier this year when Ryan Cleary, clearly unaware of the extent of Monsegur's cooperation with the police, was re-arrested for contacting him in breach of his bail conditions.

Monsegur could reportedly spend as long as 124 years in prison on the maximum tariff when sentencing day finally arrives but the general expectation is that this could be lowered if the judge is willing to take into account the help he has given police.