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Man charged in DDOS attack on phila.gov

A Missouri man is facing federal charges for trying to shut down the Philadelphia government's website.

A Missouri man is facing federal charges for trying to shut down the Philadelphia government's website.

Prosecutors said today that 29-year-old Michael Crockett was charged with attempting to intentionally damage a computer.

Court documents say that between Sept. 24 and Sept. 26, 2012, Crockett tried to shut down phila.gov -- the city's main government website -- using a distributed denial of service attack, known as a DDOS.

He "knowingly caused the transmission of programs, information, codes and commands" in an intentional attempt to damage the computer that hosts phila.gov, charging documents say.

The documents don't give a motive for the DDOS attack.

The attack cost the city more than $5,000, prosecutors said.

Crockett, of Kansas City, Mo., could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

He was charged in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by information, a type of document that indicates a defendant is cooperating with prosecutors.