Date: 05-28-2013

Case Style: United States of America v. Jeremy Hammond

Case Number: 1:12-cr-00185-LAP

Judge: Not Available

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (New York County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Thomas G. A. Brown and Rosemary Nidiry

Defendant's Attorney: Elizabeth M. Fink

Description: The United States of America charged Jeremy Hammond with computer fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030; fraud activity connected with computers in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030; trafficing in counterfeit device in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1029; and fraud with identification documents in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1028 in conjunction with "hacktivist" activities associated with illegally accessing computer systems of law enforcement agencies and government contractors.

The Government alleged that Defendant and others were associated with Anonymous, a loosely associated worldwide hacking group that stole confidential information, defaced websites and temporary put some victims out of business. It further asserted that Hammond pilfered information of more than 850,000 people via his attached on Austin, Texas-based STrategic Forecasting, Inc. He was also accused of using credit card information of Statfor clients to make charges of more than $700,000.00.

Defendant was identified and arrested with the help of Hector Xavier Monsegue, a famous hacker known as Sabu.

Several other individuals, including Ryan Ackroyd, Jake Davis, Darren Martyn and Donucha O'Cearbhail, for similar activities.

______________________________________________

Title 18 U.S.C. 1028 provides:

(a) Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (c) of this section—
(1) knowingly and without lawful authority produces an identification document, authentication feature, or a false identification document;
(2) knowingly transfers an identification document, authentication feature, or a false identification document knowing that such document or feature was stolen or produced without lawful authority;
(3) knowingly possesses with intent to use unlawfully or transfer unlawfully five or more identification documents (other than those issued lawfully for the use of the possessor), authentication features, or false identification documents;
(4) knowingly possesses an identification document (other than one issued lawfully for the use of the possessor), authentication feature, or a false identification document, with the intent such document or feature be used to defraud the United States;
(5) knowingly produces, transfers, or possesses a document-making implement or authentication feature with the intent such document-making implement or authentication feature will be used in the production of a false identification document or another document-making implement or authentication feature which will be so used;
(6) knowingly possesses an identification document or authentication feature that is or appears to be an identification document or authentication feature of the United States or a sponsoring entity of an event designated as a special event of national significance which is stolen or produced without lawful authority knowing that such document or feature was stolen or produced without such authority;
(7) knowingly transfers, possesses, or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, or in connection with, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law; or
(8) knowingly traffics in false or actual authentication features for use in false identification documents, document-making implements, or means of identification;
shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) of this section is—
(1) except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 15 years, or both, if the offense is—
(A) the production or transfer of an identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document that is or appears to be—
(i) an identification document or authentication feature issued by or under the authority of the United States; or
(ii) a birth certificate, or a driver’s license or personal identification card;
(B) the production or transfer of more than five identification documents, authentication features, or false identification documents;
(C) an offense under paragraph (5) of such subsection; or
(D) an offense under paragraph (7) of such subsection that involves the transfer, possession, or use of 1 or more means of identification if, as a result of the offense, any individual committing the offense obtains anything of value aggregating $1,000 or more during any 1-year period;
(2) except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4), a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, if the offense is—
(A) any other production, transfer, or use of a means of identification, an identification document,, [1] authentication feature, or a false identification document; or
(B) an offense under paragraph (3) or (7) of such subsection;
(3) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both, if the offense is committed—
(A) to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in section 929 (a)(2));
(B) in connection with a crime of violence (as defined in section 924 (c)(3)); or
(C) after a prior conviction under this section becomes final;
(4) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 30 years, or both, if the offense is committed to facilitate an act of domestic terrorism (as defined under section 2331 (5) of this title) or an act of international terrorism (as defined in section 2331 (1) of this title);
(5) in the case of any offense under subsection (a), forfeiture to the United States of any personal property used or intended to be used to commit the offense; and
(6) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, in any other case.
(c) The circumstance referred to in subsection (a) of this section is that—
(1) the identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document is or appears to be issued by or under the authority of the United States or a sponsoring entity of an event designated as a special event of national significance or the document-making implement is designed or suited for making such an identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document;
(2) the offense is an offense under subsection (a)(4) of this section; or
(3) either—
(A) the production, transfer, possession, or use prohibited by this section is in or affects interstate or foreign commerce, including the transfer of a document by electronic means; or
(B) the means of identification, identification document, false identification document, or document-making implement is transported in the mail in the course of the production, transfer, possession, or use prohibited by this section.
(d) In this section and section 1028A—
(1) the term “authentication feature” means any hologram, watermark, certification, symbol, code, image, sequence of numbers or letters, or other feature that either individually or in combination with another feature is used by the issuing authority on an identification document, document-making implement, or means of identification to determine if the document is counterfeit, altered, or otherwise falsified;
(2) the term “document-making implement” means any implement, impression, template, computer file, computer disc, electronic device, or computer hardware or software, that is specifically configured or primarily used for making an identification document, a false identification document, or another document-making implement;
(3) the term “identification document” means a document made or issued by or under the authority of the United States Government, a State, political subdivision of a State, a sponsoring entity of an event designated as a special event of national significance, a foreign government, political subdivision of a foreign government, an international governmental or an international quasi-governmental organization which, when completed with information concerning a particular individual, is of a type intended or commonly accepted for the purpose of identification of individuals;
(4) the term “false identification document” means a document of a type intended or commonly accepted for the purposes of identification of individuals that—
(A) is not issued by or under the authority of a governmental entity or was issued under the authority of a governmental entity but was subsequently altered for purposes of deceit; and
(B) appears to be issued by or under the authority of the United States Government, a State, a political subdivision of a State, a sponsoring entity of an event designated by the President as a special event of national significance, a foreign government, a political subdivision of a foreign government, or an international governmental or quasi-governmental organization;
(5) the term “false authentication feature” means an authentication feature that—
(A) is genuine in origin, but, without the authorization of the issuing authority, has been tampered with or altered for purposes of deceit;
(B) is genuine, but has been distributed, or is intended for distribution, without the authorization of the issuing authority and not in connection with a lawfully made identification document, document-making implement, or means of identification to which such authentication feature is intended to be affixed or embedded by the respective issuing authority; or
(C) appears to be genuine, but is not;
(6) the term “issuing authority”—
(A) means any governmental entity or agency that is authorized to issue identification documents, means of identification, or authentication features; and
(B) includes the United States Government, a State, a political subdivision of a State, a sponsoring entity of an event designated by the President as a special event of national significance, a foreign government, a political subdivision of a foreign government, or an international government or quasi-governmental organization;
(7) the term “means of identification” means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual, including any—
(A) name, social security number, date of birth, official State or government issued driver’s license or identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer identification number;
(B) unique biometric data, such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation;
(C) unique electronic identification number, address, or routing code; or
(D) telecommunication identifying information or access device (as defined in section 1029 (e));
(8) the term “personal identification card” means an identification document issued by a State or local government solely for the purpose of identification;
(9) the term “produce” includes alter, authenticate, or assemble;
(10) the term “transfer” includes selecting an identification document, false identification document, or document-making implement and placing or directing the placement of such identification document, false identification document, or document-making implement on an online location where it is available to others;
(11) the term “State” includes any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other commonwealth, possession, or territory of the United States; and
(12) the term “traffic” means—
(A) to transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of, to another, as consideration for anything of value; or
(B) to make or obtain control of with intent to so transport, transfer, or otherwise dispose of.
(e) This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States, or any activity authorized under chapter 224 of this title.
(f) Attempt and Conspiracy.— Any person who attempts or conspires to commit any offense under this section shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense, the commission of which was the object of the attempt or conspiracy.
(g) Forfeiture Procedures.— The forfeiture of property under this section, including any seizure and disposition of the property and any related judicial or administrative proceeding, shall be governed by the provisions of section 413 (other than subsection (d) of that section) of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 853).
(h) Forfeiture; Disposition.— In the circumstance in which any person is convicted of a violation of subsection (a), the court shall order, in addition to the penalty prescribed, the forfeiture and destruction or other disposition of all illicit authentication features, identification documents, document-making implements, or means of identification.
(i) Rule of Construction.— For purpose of subsection (a)(7), a single identification document or false identification document that contains 1 or more means of identification shall be construed to be 1 means of identification.

Title 18 U.S.C. 1029 provides:

(a) Whoever—
(1) knowingly and with intent to defraud produces, uses, or traffics in one or more counterfeit access devices;
(2) knowingly and with intent to defraud traffics in or uses one or more unauthorized access devices during any one-year period, and by such conduct obtains anything of value aggregating $1,000 or more during that period;
(3) knowingly and with intent to defraud possesses fifteen or more devices which are counterfeit or unauthorized access devices;
(4) knowingly, and with intent to defraud, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses device-making equipment;
(5) knowingly and with intent to defraud effects transactions, with 1 or more access devices issued to another person or persons, to receive payment or any other thing of value during any 1-year period the aggregate value of which is equal to or greater than $1,000;
(6) without the authorization of the issuer of the access device, knowingly and with intent to defraud solicits a person for the purpose of—
(A) offering an access device; or
(B) selling information regarding or an application to obtain an access device;
(7) knowingly and with intent to defraud uses, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses a telecommunications instrument that has been modified or altered to obtain unauthorized use of telecommunications services;
(8) knowingly and with intent to defraud uses, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses a scanning receiver;
(9) knowingly uses, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses hardware or software, knowing it has been configured to insert or modify telecommunication identifying information associated with or contained in a telecommunications instrument so that such instrument may be used to obtain telecommunications service without authorization; or
(10) without the authorization of the credit card system member or its agent, knowingly and with intent to defraud causes or arranges for another person to present to the member or its agent, for payment, 1 or more evidences or records of transactions made by an access device;
shall, if the offense affects interstate or foreign commerce, be punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
(b)
(1) Whoever attempts to commit an offense under subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense attempted.
(2) Whoever is a party to a conspiracy of two or more persons to commit an offense under subsection (a) of this section, if any of the parties engages in any conduct in furtherance of such offense, shall be fined an amount not greater than the amount provided as the maximum fine for such offense under subsection (c) of this section or imprisoned not longer than one-half the period provided as the maximum imprisonment for such offense under subsection (c) of this section, or both.
(c) Penalties.—
(1) Generally.— The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) of this section is—
(A) in the case of an offense that does not occur after a conviction for another offense under this section—
(i) if the offense is under paragraph (1), (2), (3), (6), (7), or (10) of subsection (a), a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both; and
(ii) if the offense is under paragraph (4), (5), (8), or (9) of subsection (a), a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 15 years, or both;
(B) in the case of an offense that occurs after a conviction for another offense under this section, a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both; and
(C) in either case, forfeiture to the United States of any personal property used or intended to be used to commit the offense.
(2) Forfeiture procedure.— The forfeiture of property under this section, including any seizure and disposition of the property and any related administrative and judicial proceeding, shall be governed by section 413 of the Controlled Substances Act, except for subsection (d) of that section.
(d) The United States Secret Service shall, in addition to any other agency having such authority, have the authority to investigate offenses under this section. Such authority of the United States Secret Service shall be exercised in accordance with an agreement which shall be entered into by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General.
(e) As used in this section—
(1) the term “access device” means any card, plate, code, account number, electronic serial number, mobile identification number, personal identification number, or other telecommunications service, equipment, or instrument identifier, or other means of account access that can be used, alone or in conjunction with another access device, to obtain money, goods, services, or any other thing of value, or that can be used to initiate a transfer of funds (other than a transfer originated solely by paper instrument);
(2) the term “counterfeit access device” means any access device that is counterfeit, fictitious, altered, or forged, or an identifiable component of an access device or a counterfeit access device;
(3) the term “unauthorized access device” means any access device that is lost, stolen, expired, revoked, canceled, or obtained with intent to defraud;
(4) the term “produce” includes design, alter, authenticate, duplicate, or assemble;
(5) the term “traffic” means transfer, or otherwise dispose of, to another, or obtain control of with intent to transfer or dispose of;
(6) the term “device-making equipment” means any equipment, mechanism, or impression designed or primarily used for making an access device or a counterfeit access device;
(7) the term “credit card system member” means a financial institution or other entity that is a member of a credit card system, including an entity, whether affiliated with or identical to the credit card issuer, that is the sole member of a credit card system;
(8) the term “scanning receiver” means a device or apparatus that can be used to intercept a wire or electronic communication in violation of chapter 119 or to intercept an electronic serial number, mobile identification number, or other identifier of any telecommunications service, equipment, or instrument;
(9) the term “telecommunications service” has the meaning given such term in section 3 of title I of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153);
(10) the term “facilities-based carrier” means an entity that owns communications transmission facilities, is responsible for the operation and maintenance of those facilities, and holds an operating license issued by the Federal Communications Commission under the authority of title III of the Communications Act of 1934; and
(11) the term “telecommunication identifying information” means electronic serial number or any other number or signal that identifies a specific telecommunications instrument or account, or a specific communication transmitted from a telecommunications instrument.
(f) This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States, or any activity authorized under chapter 224 of this title. For purposes of this subsection, the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(g)
(1) It is not a violation of subsection (a)(9) for an officer, employee, or agent of, or a person engaged in business with, a facilities-based carrier, to engage in conduct (other than trafficking) otherwise prohibited by that subsection for the purpose of protecting the property or legal rights of that carrier, unless such conduct is for the purpose of obtaining telecommunications service provided by another facilities-based carrier without the authorization of such carrier.
(2) In a prosecution for a violation of subsection (a)(9), (other than a violation consisting of producing or trafficking) it is an affirmative defense (which the defendant must establish by a preponderance of the evidence) that the conduct charged was engaged in for research or development in connection with a lawful purpose.
(h) Any person who, outside the jurisdiction of the United States, engages in any act that, if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States, would constitute an offense under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, shall be subject to the fines, penalties, imprisonment, and forfeiture provided in this title if—
(1) the offense involves an access device issued, owned, managed, or controlled by a financial institution, account issuer, credit card system member, or other entity within the jurisdiction of the United States; and
(2) the person transports, delivers, conveys, transfers to or through, or otherwise stores, secrets, or holds within the jurisdiction of the United States, any article used to assist in the commission of the offense or the proceeds of such offense or property derived therefrom.


Title 18 U.S.C. 1030 provides:

(a) Whoever -
(1) having knowingly accessed a computer without authorization
or exceeding authorized access, and by means of such conduct
having obtained information that has been determined by the
United States Government pursuant to an Executive order or
statute to require protection against unauthorized disclosure for
reasons of national defense or foreign relations, or any
restricted data, as defined in paragraph y. of section 11 of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, with reason to believe that such
information so obtained could be used to the injury of the United
States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation willfully
communicates, delivers, transmits, or causes to be communicated,
delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver,
transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted
the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully
retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or
employee of the United States entitled to receive it;
(2) intentionally accesses a computer without authorization or
exceeds authorized access, and thereby obtains -
(A) information contained in a financial record of a
financial institution, or of a card issuer as defined in
section 1602(n) of title 15, or contained in a file of a
consumer reporting agency on a consumer, as such terms are
defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et
seq.);
(B) information from any department or agency of the United
States; or
(C) information from any protected computer if the conduct
involved an interstate or foreign communication;
(3) intentionally, without authorization to access any
nonpublic computer of a department or agency of the United
States, accesses such a computer of that department or agency
that is exclusively for the use of the Government of the United
States or, in the case of a computer not exclusively for such
use, is used by or for the Government of the United States and
such conduct affects that use by or for the Government of the
United States;
(4) knowingly and with intent to defraud, accesses a protected
computer without authorization, or exceeds authorized access, and
by means of such conduct furthers the intended fraud and obtains
anything of value, unless the object of the fraud and the thing
obtained consists only of the use of the computer and the value
of such use is not more than $5,000 in any 1-year period;
(5)(A)(i) knowingly causes the transmission of a program,
information, code, or command, and as a result of such conduct,
intentionally causes damage without authorization, to a protected
computer;
(ii) intentionally accesses a protected computer without
authorization, and as a result of such conduct, recklessly causes
damage; or
(iii) intentionally accesses a protected computer without
authorization, and as a result of such conduct, causes damage;
and
(B) by conduct described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of
subparagraph (A), caused (or, in the case of an attempted
offense, would, if completed, have caused) -
(i) loss to 1 or more persons during any 1-year period (and,
for purposes of an investigation, prosecution, or other
proceeding brought by the United States only, loss resulting
from a related course of conduct affecting 1 or more other
protected computers) aggregating at least $5,000 in value;
(ii) the modification or impairment, or potential
modification or impairment, of the medical examination,
diagnosis, treatment, or care of 1 or more individuals;
(iii) physical injury to any person;
(iv) a threat to public health or safety; or
(v) damage affecting a computer system used by or for a
government entity in furtherance of the administration of
justice, national defense, or national security;
(6) knowingly and with intent to defraud traffics (as defined
in section 1029) in any password or similar information through
which a computer may be accessed without authorization, if -
(A) such trafficking affects interstate or foreign commerce;
or
(B) such computer is used by or for the Government of the
United States; (!1)
(7) with intent to extort from any person any money or other
thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any
communication containing any threat to cause damage to a
protected computer;
shall be punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Whoever attempts to commit an offense under subsection (a) of
this section shall be punished as provided in subsection (c) of
this section.
(c) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) or (b) of
this section is -
(1)(A) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more
than ten years, or both, in the case of an offense under
subsection (a)(1) of this section which does not occur after a
conviction for another offense under this section, or an attempt
to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph; and
(B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
twenty years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection
(a)(1) of this section which occurs after a conviction for
another offense under this section, or an attempt to commit an
offense punishable under this subparagraph;
(2)(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), a fine under
this title or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both,
in the case of an offense under subsection (a)(2), (a)(3),
(a)(5)(A)(iii), or (a)(6) of this section which does not occur
after a conviction for another offense under this section, or an
attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph;
(B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5
years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection
(a)(2), or an attempt to commit an offense punishable under this
subparagraph, if -
(i) the offense was committed for purposes of commercial
advantage or private financial gain;
(ii) the offense was committed in furtherance of any criminal
or tortious act in violation of the Constitution or laws of the
United States or of any State; or
(iii) the value of the information obtained exceeds $5,000;
and
(C) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
ten years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection
(a)(2), (a)(3) or (a)(6) of this section which occurs after a
conviction for another offense under this section, or an attempt
to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph;
(3)(A) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more
than five years, or both, in the case of an offense under
subsection (a)(4) or (a)(7) of this section which does not occur
after a conviction for another offense under this section, or an
attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph;
and
(B) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than
ten years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection
(a)(4), (a)(5)(A)(iii), or (a)(7) of this section which occurs
after a conviction for another offense under this section, or an
attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph;
(4)(A) except as provided in paragraph (5), a fine under this
title, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, in the
case of an offense under subsection (a)(5)(A)(i), or an attempt
to commit an offense punishable under that subsection;
(B) a fine under this title, imprisonment for not more than 5
years, or both, in the case of an offense under subsection
(a)(5)(A)(ii), or an attempt to commit an offense punishable
under that subsection;
(C) except as provided in paragraph (5), a fine under this
title, imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both, in the
case of an offense under subsection (a)(5)(A)(i) or
(a)(5)(A)(ii), or an attempt to commit an offense punishable
under either subsection, that occurs after a conviction for
another offense under this section; and
(5)(A) if the offender knowingly or recklessly causes or
attempts to cause serious bodily injury from conduct in violation
of subsection (a)(5)(A)(i), a fine under this title or
imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both; and
(B) if the offender knowingly or recklessly causes or attempts
to cause death from conduct in violation of subsection
(a)(5)(A)(i), a fine under this title or imprisonment for any
term of years or for life, or both.
(d)(1) The United States Secret Service shall, in addition to any
other agency having such authority, have the authority to
investigate offenses under this section.
(2) The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall have primary
authority to investigate offenses under subsection (a)(1) for any
cases involving espionage, foreign counterintelligence, information
protected against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national
defense or foreign relations, or Restricted Data (as that term is
defined in section 11y of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2014(y)), except for offenses affecting the duties of the United
States Secret Service pursuant to section 3056(a) of this title.
(3) Such authority shall be exercised in accordance with an
agreement which shall be entered into by the Secretary of the
Treasury and the Attorney General.
(e) As used in this section -
(1) the term "computer" means an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electrochemical, or other high speed data processing device
performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions, and
includes any data storage facility or communications facility
directly related to or operating in conjunction with such device,
but such term does not include an automated typewriter or
typesetter, a portable hand held calculator, or other similar
device;
(2) the term "protected computer" means a computer -
(A) exclusively for the use of a financial institution or the
United States Government, or, in the case of a computer not
exclusively for such use, used by or for a financial
institution or the United States Government and the conduct
constituting the offense affects that use by or for the
financial institution or the Government; or
(B) which is used in interstate or foreign commerce or
communication, including a computer located outside the United
States that is used in a manner that affects interstate or
foreign commerce or communication of the United States;
(3) the term "State" includes the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other commonwealth,
possession or territory of the United States;
(4) the term "financial institution" means -
(A) an institution, with deposits insured by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation;
(B) the Federal Reserve or a member of the Federal Reserve
including any Federal Reserve Bank;
(C) a credit union with accounts insured by the National
Credit Union Administration;
(D) a member of the Federal home loan bank system and any
home loan bank;
(E) any institution of the Farm Credit System under the Farm
Credit Act of 1971;
(F) a broker-dealer registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to section 15 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934;
(G) the Securities Investor Protection Corporation;
(H) a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are
defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the
International Banking Act of 1978); and
(I) an organization operating under section 25 or section
25(a) (!2) of the Federal Reserve Act;
(5) the term "financial record" means information derived from
any record held by a financial institution pertaining to a
customer's relationship with the financial institution;
(6) the term "exceeds authorized access" means to access a
computer with authorization and to use such access to obtain or
alter information in the computer that the accesser is not
entitled so to obtain or alter;
(7) the term "department of the United States" means the
legislative or judicial branch of the Government or one of the
executive departments enumerated in section 101 of title 5;
(8) the term "damage" means any impairment to the integrity or
availability of data, a program, a system, or information;
(9) the term "government entity" includes the Government of the
United States, any State or political subdivision of the United
States, any foreign country, and any state, province,
municipality, or other political subdivision of a foreign
country;
(10) the term "conviction" shall include a conviction under the
law of any State for a crime punishable by imprisonment for more
than 1 year, an element of which is unauthorized access, or
exceeding authorized access, to a computer;
(11) the term "loss" means any reasonable cost to any victim,
including the cost of responding to an offense, conducting a
damage assessment, and restoring the data, program, system, or
information to its condition prior to the offense, and any
revenue lost, cost incurred, or other consequential damages
incurred because of interruption of service; and
(12) the term "person" means any individual, firm, corporation,
educational institution, financial institution, governmental
entity, or legal or other entity.
(f) This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized
investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law
enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political
subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United
States.
(g) Any person who suffers damage or loss by reason of a
violation of this section may maintain a civil action against the
violator to obtain compensatory damages and injunctive relief or
other equitable relief. A civil action for a violation of this
section may be brought only if the conduct involves 1 of the
factors set forth in clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) of
subsection (a)(5)(B). Damages for a violation involving only
conduct described in subsection (a)(5)(B)(i) are limited to
economic damages. No action may be brought under this subsection
unless such action is begun within 2 years of the date of the act
complained of or the date of the discovery of the damage. No action
may be brought under this subsection for the negligent design or
manufacture of computer hardware, computer software, or firmware.
(h) The Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury shall
report to the Congress annually, during the first 3 years following
the date of the enactment of this subsection, concerning
investigations and prosecutions under subsection (a)(5).

Outcome: Hammond pleaded guilty and faces 15 years in prison.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: