TalkTalk hacker Elliott Gunton accused of computer fraud in US

Gunton and Anthony Nashatka, a US citizen, are facing charges connected to cryptocurrency

A UK teenager convicted of hacking TalkTalk has been indicted in the US for a cryptocurrency computer fraud involving at least $800,000 (£640,000).

Elliott Gunton, 19, of Old Catton, near Norwich, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court to 20 months in prison after admitting computer misuse offences.

Now Gunton and Anthony Nashatka, a US citizen, are facing charges which could result in 20-year sentences.

The indictments also include wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

They were filed in San Francisco, according to papers seen by the BBC.

'Planet and Psycho'

Gunton and Mr Nashatka are accused by the US Department of Justice of defrauding customers on the EtherDelta currency exchange site via the site's host Cloudshare, a San Francisco company, between 13 and 26 December 2017.

The indictment said that the pair, who were allegedly known by their internet nicknames Planet and Psycho, "withdrew cryptocurrency from hundreds" of EtherDelta users.

It did not say how much was alleged to have been taken, but said about $800,000 was withdrawn from one customer.

In August this year Gunton admitted five charges, including computer misuse and money laundering offences.

Court order

He was jailed for 20 months and released due to time spent on remand.

He was also ordered to pay back £407,359 and given a three-and-a-half-year community order, which restricts his internet and software use.

Gunton, of Longland Close, was found guilty of hacking the telecommunications firm TalkTalk when he was 16.

Under a Twitter account, in which he described himself as a "full time crypto trader", Gunton tweeted in May last year: "Having lots of money is cool… but having lots of money without people knowing is cooler."