WICHITA — A Larned man who allegedly hired a hacker to damage computers served by internet service provider Nex-Tech was charged Tuesday in a federal indictment, the office of U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister reports.
Michael D. Golightley, 34, is charged with seven counts of damaging a protected computer and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March 2017 in Ellis County.

The indictment alleges Golightley hired an entity known as DDosCity to carry out a series of denial-of-service attacks against computers served by Nex-Tech. Nex-Tech provided backup and monitoring service for Ellis County’s Emergency Medical Service administrative voice lines, Russell County’s hospital voice lines, the Quinter hospital’s voice lines, the Grove County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines, the Russell County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines and the administrative voice lines for the police and fire departments of Russell County.

“The denial of service attacks caused by the defendant resulted in a loss to Nex-Tech in excess of $5,000; caused the potential impairment of medical treatment or care of one or more persons; and caused a threat to public health and safety,” the indictment alleges.
The indictment also alleges Golightley sent an e-mail to Nex-Tech stating: “Take down my ad again when my description doesn’t violate copyright (and) I will violate this site by bringing it offline. ... im very capable of bringing down this wetsite (sic).”

If convicted, he faces up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.