Matthew Keys spoke to reporters on April 13, 2016 after his sentencing hearing in federal court in Sacramento, California. (credit: Cyrus Farivar)
On Wednesday morning, less than two hours before journalist Matthew Keys’ sentencing hearing in federal court, Ars received an e-mail with an attached nine-page letter making a shocking claim, which for now is impossible to confirm: “Matthew Keys is innocent.” Absent further information, it’s impossible to say with certainty that this letter is not a hoax.
The message, which was authored by someone under the pseudonym “Sam Snow,” was also sent earlier in the year to Keys’ defense team, government prosecutors, and the judge. It will likely have no material impact on the forthcoming appeal in Keys’ conviction. Keys’ lawyer, Jay Leiderman, told Ars that the letter was essentially too little, too late.
When Ars asked Keys if he was Snow, he answered flatly: “No.” Keys declined further comment. He also declined to explain why he is protecting Snow, who may or may not be a real person. In the letter, Snow also claims that Keys promised him off-the-record protections as a source in his earlier reporting into Anonymous, adding, “I also know Matthew well enough to know that he will go to jail if it means protecting a source, because that’s what good journalists do.” (Snow claims he taught Keys how to use IRC and how to communicate with Anonymous.)
Read 27 remaining paragraphs | Comments
