Court papers released earlier today have confirmed that LulzSec leader Sabu -- now revealed as 28-year-old Hector Xavier Monsegur of New York City -- became an FBI informant after he was arrested last August, and his information led to today's arrests of other top LulzSec members.

According to the papers, the arrested LulzSec members are being charged with "conspiracy to commit computer hacking" in connection with attacks on Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Fox, the Tribune Co., the U.S Senate, and computers belonging to several foreign governments.

Sabu was also charged with conspiracy last year, and is currently free on $50,000 bail.

Anonymous members reacted to Sabu's betrayal on Twitter, pointing out that Anon "is an idea, not a group. There is no leader, there is no head."

Frequent Anonymous spokesman Barrett Brown also weighed in, tweeting, "My apartment was raided this morning by the FBI. Feds also came to another residence where I actually was. Sabu is a traitor."

He later clarified that he hadn't been arrested, and that the FBI was looking for his laptops.

Brown also commented to the AP on Sabu's decision to turn informant.

"He was an admired Anon," he said. "He's been a leader. People came to him with information. God knows what else he told them."

[ap / gizmodo]