I also think that a lot of black hats are working for the feds. But I think it has more to do with their lack of integrity and morals rather than threats and intimidation.
Legal advice is a big part of black hat literature, so I don't think any of them can claim ignorance.
There's also the ones that actually have morality and integrity and thus find honor in serving one's country.
This doesn't mean that everything the Government does is beneficial to society, but people seem to forget that many government employees have good intentions.
Not to mention, they wouldn't typically have met their co-conspirators face-to-face. It is much easier to turn on an anonymous handle on the computer screen than a human face.
Legal advice is a big part of black hat literature, so I don't think any of them can claim ignorance.