Sergey Aleynikov, who was convicted in 2009 for stealing and transferring proprietary “source code” belonging to Goldman Sachs, only to have his convictions reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit earlier this year, has been indicted again.
Category Archives: Cybercrime
Subscribe to Cybercrime RSS FeedSecond Circuit Holds Theft of “Source Code” Not a Crime Under the National Stolen Property Act
Posted in CybercrimeSergey Aleynikov was convicted for stealing and transferring proprietary "source code" in violation of the National Stolen Property Act (NSPA), 18 U.S.C. § 2314, and the Economic Espionage Act (EEA) of 1996, 18 U.S.C. § 1832. Source code is computer instructions in a human-readable text. Aleynikov was a computer programmer for Goldman Sachs & Co., who developed source… Continue Reading
Fifth Amendment Protects Against Decrypting Computer Files
Posted in CybercrimeIn an interesting factual landscape arising out of a child pornography investigation, the Eleventh Circuit reversed a contempt sanction yesterday holding that the “decryption and production” of the content on computer hard drives “would trigger Fifth Amendment protection because it would be testimonial, and that such protection would extend to the government’s use of the… Continue Reading
Georgia Tech Student’s Dorm Raided by FBI During Investigation of WikiLeaks Retaliations
Posted in CybercrimeLast Thursday, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents searched the dormitory room of Georgia Tech freshman student Zhiwei Chen as part of "Operation Payback," an investigation into cyber attacks launched on companies which cut off sponsorship to the website Wikileaks, including PayPal, Mastercard, Visa and Bank of America, according to Midtown Patch. A group called "Anonymous"… Continue Reading
The Iceman Goeth: Computer Hacker Gets 13 Years for $86.4 Million Credit Card Scheme
Posted in Cybercrime, FraudOn Friday, Max Ray Butler, also known as the "Iceman" on the internet and by various other aliases, was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, according to a Department of Justice press release. The Court also ordered Butler to pay $27.5 million in restitution. Butler… Continue Reading
The 00s:The Decade Technology Transformed the Practice of Law; Chinese Cyber-Attack on L.A. Firm
Posted in Cybercrime, MiscellaneousThe Fulton County Daily Report’s "The Snark" has illustrated, in a tounge-in-cheek manner, what has indisputably been the biggest change in the practice of law–including criminal law–over the decade just passed–technology. We have noted on this blog before that the technology boom of the last ten and more years has also presented inventive new avenues… Continue Reading
“J4guar17″ a/k/a “Soupnazi” a/k/a Super Hacker Albert Gonzalez Pleads Guilty to One of the Largest Data Thefts in U.S. History
Posted in Cybercrime, FraudOnce again demonstrating the massive potential for crime created by our digital age, 28 year-old Albert Gonzalez pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to payment card networks last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey according to a DOJ press release. Gonzalez was charged with hacking… Continue Reading
Craigslist to Pull “Erotic Services” Section
Posted in CybercrimeOn Friday, the online classified ad forum Craigslist announced that it will pull its controversial "erotic services" section. Craiglist had come under scrutiny by the national newsmedia and various state Attorneys General surrounding the crimes committed by the "Craigslist Killer," Philip Markoff, including the brutal murder of Julissa Brisman in Boston. The announcement, which was… Continue Reading
Spam-a-Lot! Brothers Indicted for Spamming Conspiracy Affecting 2,000 Colleges and Universities
Posted in Cybercrime, Environmental Crimes, False Claims, Money LaunderingSpam e-mail is nearly universally despised. However, recipients of spam may not fully appreciate the inventiveness and intricateness of some spammers’ methods, however dubious or illegal, before considering the charges against Missouri residents Amir Ahmad Shah, age 28, and Osmaan Ahmad Shah, age 25, who operated a company I2O. As reported by IDG News Service,… Continue Reading
“Craiglist Killer” Case Is Likely Beginning of the End for So-Called “Largest Source of Prostitution in the U.S.”
Posted in CybercrimeThe suspected “Craigslist Killer,” Philip Markoff, a second year medical student at Boston University, appeared on Wednesday in Boston Municipal Court where he was ordered held without on charges of murder, armed robbery and kidnapping. Markoff is charged with the brutal murder of Julissa Brisman, a masseuse from New York City who was found dead… Continue Reading
Online Pharmacy Defendants Plead Guilty
Posted in CybercrimeOn Friday, Jared Robert Wheat, Stephen Douglas Smith, Tomasz Holda, Sergio Oliveira and their company, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., pled guilty in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pled guilty to conspiring to import and distribute adulterated, mislabeled and unapproved drugs and to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, according to… Continue Reading
Defendants Sentenced in $2 Million eBay Counterfeiting Scheme
Posted in CybercrimeZachary Hurley, Stephen Piwowar and Jonathan Portwood were sentenced to 51 months and 15 months of imprisonment, and 5 years probation respectively in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the… Continue Reading