chloe
03-29-2010, 08:29 AM
BOSTON – For the second time in as many days, a computer hacker accused of one of the largest-ever thefts of credit and debit card numbers stood before a federal judge and apologized for his actions.
"I have violated the sanctity of millions of individuals around the United States," said Albert Gonzalez, in pleading for lenience. "I'm guilty of the crimes ... I accept full responsibility for my actions."
Federal Judge Douglas Woodlock sentenced Gonzalez to 20 yea
rs and a day in prison, but ordered that the term run concurrently with a 20-year term Gonzalez received from a different judge Thursday in two related cases.
The concurrent sentence means the 28-year-old Miami man, a one-time federal informant, will not serve any significant additional prison time.
Woodlock said he believed the sentence was sufficient to deliver a message of deterrence to other technologically-gifted individuals from pursuing similar crimes.
"You're in your mid-20s. You're going to be in your mid-40s when you get out," the judge said to Gonzalez. "That's a tremendous loss."
The case Friday involved the theft of credit card numbers from the Scarsborough, Maine-based Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain, Dallas-based convenience store chain 7-Eleven, and Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor.
Thursday's sentence stemmed from two cases that were combined and involved major retailers including TJX Cos., BJ's Wholesale Club, Barnes & Noble, OfficeMax, and the restaurant chain Dave & Buster's.
Prosecutors said tens of millions of credit and debit cards numbers were stolen, costing the companies, banks and insurers nearly $200 million.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_bi_ge/us_retail_hacker
"I have violated the sanctity of millions of individuals around the United States," said Albert Gonzalez, in pleading for lenience. "I'm guilty of the crimes ... I accept full responsibility for my actions."
Federal Judge Douglas Woodlock sentenced Gonzalez to 20 yea
rs and a day in prison, but ordered that the term run concurrently with a 20-year term Gonzalez received from a different judge Thursday in two related cases.
The concurrent sentence means the 28-year-old Miami man, a one-time federal informant, will not serve any significant additional prison time.
Woodlock said he believed the sentence was sufficient to deliver a message of deterrence to other technologically-gifted individuals from pursuing similar crimes.
"You're in your mid-20s. You're going to be in your mid-40s when you get out," the judge said to Gonzalez. "That's a tremendous loss."
The case Friday involved the theft of credit card numbers from the Scarsborough, Maine-based Hannaford Bros. supermarket chain, Dallas-based convenience store chain 7-Eleven, and Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card payment processor.
Thursday's sentence stemmed from two cases that were combined and involved major retailers including TJX Cos., BJ's Wholesale Club, Barnes & Noble, OfficeMax, and the restaurant chain Dave & Buster's.
Prosecutors said tens of millions of credit and debit cards numbers were stolen, costing the companies, banks and insurers nearly $200 million.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_bi_ge/us_retail_hacker