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You’ve Got Jail!
By David Utter
Expert Author
Article Date: 2005-08-18
A very much ex-AOL employee will spend 15 months enjoying the hospitality of the federal penal system.
Selling 92 million AOL screen names and email addresses to spammers: $28,000.
Making restitution to AOL for selling those names and emails: $84,000, and could be more.
Learning first-hand about the judicial system, including provisions for punishment and incarceration at a federal prison, for violating the CAN-SPAM act and transporting stolen property across state lines: Priceless.
Jason Smathers expressed contriteness and remorse in a letter to the federal judge for his case, according to a BBC report. That won't be enough to keep the 35 year-old out of jail, though.
Mr. Smathers used another AOL employee's login credentials to obtain the records of 92 million AOL users in 2003. He reportedly sold that database for $28,000. AOL fired him in June 2004.
Other spammers have made the legal news recently. Microsoft forced a $7 million settlement out of reputed spam king Scott Richter, and AOL is conducting a sweepstakes that will give away spammer Brad Bournival's Hummer, gold coins, and cash seized from him in a settlement.
About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.
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