CrimeCat Killer Sean Lynde MacKenzie moves to Cyber-Extortion, Cyber-Harassment
Sean Lynde, who pled guilty in New York to criminal animal cruelty and cyber extortion, has now assumed the name “MacKenzie” and is expanding his cyber extortion activities. According to charges filed before the New York Supreme Court, Lynde is now purchasing Web site accounts using other people’s names, posting death threats and defamatory statements on these sites, and then trying to extort funds from the targets. Holding multiple drivers licenses, in multiple names, Lynde reflects how criminals increasingly use the Web to cyber extort businesses and individuals
Sean Lynde MacKenzie in 2011 // Source: CG Studios
Sean Lynde, who pled guilty in New York to criminal animal cruelty and cyber extortion, has now assumed the name “MacKenzie” and is expanding his cyber extortion activities.
According to charges filed before the New York Supreme Court, Lynde is now purchasing Web site accounts using other people’s names, posting death threats and defamatory statements on these sites, and then trying to extort funds from the targets. Holding multiple drivers licenses, in multiple names, Lynde reflects how criminals increasingly use the Web to cyber extort businesses and individuals. Sean Lynde, a computer graphic designer, formerly a roadie for the rock band Guster, was arrested in 2009 by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for the killing of his then-girlfriend’s kittens. The Huffington Post reportsthat according to the Felony Indictment filed by the District Attorney, Lynde killed one kitten by suffocation, stuffing its mouth with laundry bleach.
The New York Daily News reportsthat Lynde broke the neck of another kitten, and then left another limping in pain, its front paws crushed. That kitten had to be euthanized.
The New York Post reportsthat altogether, Lynde tortured and killed six baby kittens over a three-month period.
After his arrest, Lynde launched a campaign of cyber-harassment of his former girlfriend, Rachel Strate, to intimidate her from testifying as a witness against him, according to news reports. In violation of a Court Order of Protection, Lynde sent her threatening e-mails, and even took outCraig’s List advertisements for prostitution services in Strate’s name.
Lynde’s harassment campaign succeeded: After experiencing months of slander and threats, Strate begged the District Attorney to just end the case. Despite a petition campaignasking the Court to give Lynde the maximum four years in jail, and what the Huffington Post describesas the explicit reservations of Judge Michael Obus, who questioned the plea “because of the conduct not only towards animals, but towards his ex Rachel Strate,” Lynde entered a plea before the New York Supreme Court, admitting to the killing of the kittens and to the cyber-harassment of Strate, but avoiding additional jail time.
After his criminal plea, Lynde moved back to the home of his parents, Barry and Carol Lynde of 81 Silver Lane, Limerick, Maine. Lynde assumed a new identity “Sean MacKenzie,” to try to escape his criminal past, continuing to offer “computer graphics” services.
Lynde also reportedly operates under the names “Sean McKenzie” and “Sean Linde” and uses
