Boston (ip-192.com): Computer hacker Albert Gonzalez has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping to organize massive credit and debit card thefts from national retailers such as BJ’s Wholesale Club, Barnes & Noble, OfficeMax and TJX. The sentencing judge described the case as "the largest and most costly example of computer hacking in US history".
While the 28-year old Miami native pleaded guilty to charges associated with theft, US District Judge Patti Saris compared him with a "double agent" since he was working as a paid Secret Service informant while committing the crimes. "I’m guilty not only of exploiting computer networks, but personal relationships," said Gonzalez. "I plead for leniency so that I can one day prove to [my family] that I love them, just as they love me."
Gonzalez was arrested in a Florida hotel room in May 2008. Investigators later found $1 Million in cash buried in the backyard of his parent’s home. During the trial, Gonzales argued that his only motive was an obsession to break into computer networks and technical curiosity. Defense lawyers argued for leniency, saying that Gonzales behavior was consistent with Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.
Prosecutors said that Gonzalez was the ring-leader of a hacker-gang that conducted "war-driving" campaigns to identify retailers with unprotected or poorly protected wireless networks. They installed "sniffer" programs to steal millions of credit and debit card numbers when retailers transmitted the information to payment processors. "He shook a portion of our financial system," said prosecutor Stephen Hermann.
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