The computer hacker Jeremy Hammond has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for hacking into the computers of the private intelligence firm Stratfor. Facing the prospect of decades behind bars on a number of computer fraud charges, Hammond admitted to being a member of the group Anonymous and to stealing files from Stratfor, as well as other government and corporate sites. Some five million Stratfor emails ended up on the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks, shedding light on how the private intelligence firm monitors activists and spies for corporate clients. In a statement, Hammond said he accepted the plea deal in part to avoid an overzealous prosecution that could have resulted in at least 30 years in prison. He has already served 15 months, including weeks in solitary confinement. Of the hacking of Stratfor, Hammond said: “I did this because I believe people have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors.”