Man released after appeal for Internet-related crime
The alleged perpetrator of a serious Internet data crime has been released from custody. The man, who calls himself “Weev” online, was charged with an Internet crime after reportedly stealing personal data from more than 100,000 Apple iPad users — perhaps including some from Pennsylvania — several years ago. He had been sentenced to 41 months in connection with those allegations. Now, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has overturned the man’s conviction because of an issue with the venue in which the legal proceeding was held. The defendant in this case had been tried in a New Jersey court. That is the state in which AT&T’s main computer servers are located; the man was accused of breaching security through that network. However, the appeals court has determined that the man actually entered servers that were located in Georgia and Texas. As a result, he should have been tried in a different location. The key determination was that the man should not have been tried in New Jersey because he never accessed a computer in that state. Official reports show that the man was part of a group that attempted to identify flaws in a major corporation’s online systems. The defendant and one other man were able to exploit a security loophole through AT&T’s website, which allowed them to recover a significant amount of information about scores of iPad users. Information obtained in that Internet crime reportedly included email addresses for national politicians, along with workers from various federal agencies such as NASA. The future of the man’s criminal case is not clear, though his conviction in New Jersey has been overturned. News reports do not indicate whether the man will be charged in other states for the alleged Internet crime. A Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney may be able to provide additional information about legal options for those who have been inappropriately convicted of Internet crime. Source: The New York Times, “Appeals Court Overturns Conviction of AT&T Hacker Known as ‘Weev'” 11 April 2014
