RE:RE:RE:Short Attack Can't charge someone for shorting. That's legal. You can however get charged for manipulating/exploiting.
Pump and dump and short and distort is the same thing. It's called fraud.
Quick google search and the first one that popped up was Gregory Lemelson hedge fund adviser was found guilty in a short and distort scheme.
Obviously there's more evidence of pump and dumpers being caught out there but regardless of what your strategy is, if you try to make money illegally you run the chance of getting caught one day.