Rivera was the only named person on the indictment. A second LulzSec member, Cody Kretsinger, 24, pleaded guilty to the same hacks last April. Both now face up to 15 years in prison, although Kretsinger is subject to a sealed plea agreement and is likely to receive a lesser sentence.

Kretsinger was originally scheduled for sentencing in July, but this has now been delayed until 25 October. It is not clear whether the plea agreement included information on Rivera, nor whether the six months' sentencing reprieve granted to LulzSec FBI-informant Sabu is related.

The indictment against Rivera accuses him and co-conspirators (LulzSec) of stealing information from Sony Pictures' computers via a SQL-injection attack in May and June of last year. The personal details of thousands of entrants in Sony promotions were then disclosed, and Sony and the FBI taunted on Twitter. LulzSec, originally in it just for the lulz, alligned itself with Anonymous in what amounted to a short but fierce war against big business and bureaucracy.

Alleged members of the defunct LulzSec hacking team now charged include Rivera (Neuron), Kretsinger (Recursion), Monsegur (Sabu), Davis (Topiary), Ackroyd (Kayla), T-flow (aged 17), Martyn (Pwnsauce), Hammond (Anarchaos), and Cleary (associated, but not a core member).

Rivera surrendered to the authorities in Phoenix on Tuesday.