UK Pentagon Hacker to Be Sent to US for Trial

Man with Asperger's was seeking info on UFOs
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2009 7:06 AM CST
UK Pentagon Hacker to Be Sent to US for Trial
Gary McKinnon arrives at Bow Street Magistrates court in London.    (Getty Images)

A British man who hacked his way into Pentagon computers looking for information on UFOs has lost his final appeal against extradition. Gary McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is now expected to be sent to the US for trial within weeks, the Independent reports. The 43-year-old Londoner could face up to 60 years in jail if found guilty of what US authorities call the biggest military hack in history.

Opposition lawmakers and McKinnon's supporters slammed the decision to reject the appeal, citing medical reports that said deportation was likely to make him suicidal. "To force a peaceful, vulnerable, misguided UFO fanatic like Gary thousands of miles away from his much-needed support network is barbaric," his mother told the Telegraph. "This is a cruel and miserable decision." (More autism stories.)

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