Back in May of this year Hammond pleaded guilty in federal court to one violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The Stratfor breach dates back to late 2011, when hackers associated with LulzSec breached Stratfor's website and published sensitive information, which included client lists, and credit card information.

According to RT, after pleading guilty during the trial, Hammond released a statement admitting that he also worked with the activist group, Anonymous, to hack into other websites, including those of the military, private intelligence suppliers, law enforcement agencies, information security firms, and more.

“I did this because I believe people have the right to know what government and corporations are doing behind closed doors. I did what I believe is right,” he wrote in his statement.

The government released a pre-sentence memo to the judge pushing for the maximum sentence permitted under the plea deal, which is 10 years.

The controversial case has also ensnared the presiding judge, Loretta Preska, whose husband Thomas Kaveler was implicated in the leaked emails. Kaveler is an employee of Cahill Gordon & Reindell LLP, a Stratfor client and associate, and many Hammond supporters claimed that Preska’s impartiality is harmed by this conflict of interest. Preska denied the charge, however, and Hammond’s lawyers were unsuccessful in their attempt to force her recusal.