MILWAUKEE (AP) — A British cybersecurity researcher credited with stopping a worldwide computer virus in 2017 is scheduled in Wisconsin federal court to plead guilty to developing malware to steal banking information.
Marcus Hutchins agreed last month to plead guilty to developing a malware called Kronos and conspiring to distribute it from 2012 to 2015. Prosecutors dismissed eight more charges in exchange for his plea.
Hutchins’ court appearance Thursday is expected to be brief. Sentencing will be set later. He faces up 10 years in prison but could receive a more lenient sentence for accepting responsibility.
Hutchins’ arrest in Las Vegas in August 2017 came as a shock because months earlier he was hailed a hero for finding a “kill switch” to the WannaCry virus that crippled computers worldwide.
