Skip to main content

Bull Riding Lawyer Steps in Federal Hacking Charges

By George Khoury, Esq. on July 19, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

For Kansas lawyers, it probably makes more sense to advertise legal services while riding a bull than it does to hack websites that publish critical information about them.

But any lawyer that's going to advertise in a non-traditional way needs to have a thick enough hide to weather the storm of criticism, because yes, your peers are watching (to see if you succeed or fail), and we do all enjoy a good laugh at another lawyer's expense.

And in the event you end up going viral for a spectacular #FAIL, it's probably better to lean into the comedy than to try to cover it up. And if you need a cautionary tale, read on below for the story of the allegedly vengeful, thin skinned, bull riding Kansas lawyer now facing federal hacking charges.

From Bull Rider to Cyberbully

Attorney Bradley Pistotnik, best known for his bull riding legal services commercials, is accused of making false statements to the FBI during the investigation into the hacking of three websites that were critical of him, as well as taking part in the hacking.

It is alleged that after Pistotnik discovered webpages that criticized him, he contacted a software engineer for some help. From there, it is believed that the pair conspired to basically cyberbully the three websites until they took the pages down. In addition to flooding the websites' email inboxes with endless demands that the critical pages be taken down, there were threats levied that if the pages were not taken down, similar action would be taken against the sites' advertisers. Shockingly, it is alleged that this latter threat was actually carried out.

Down in the Well

Though the allegations stem from a few years back, the indictment was just recently filed.

Looking over the indictment, it is clear that Pistotnik is likely going to be facing more than just federal criminal charges. The charges include fraud and conspiracy, and making false statements, all of which implicate moral turpitude. However, currently, it is unclear if the state bar has taken any action.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard