1997-06-27 -- Computer Hacker Kevin Mitnick Sentenced to Prison.

Notorious Hacker Gets 22 Months for Illegal Cellular Phone Codes
and Violating Supervised Release in Prior Computer Fraud Case.

     LOS ANGELES, June 27 -- Notorious computer
criminal Kevin Mitnick was sentenced today to 22
months in federal prison for possessing illegal cellular
phone codes and for breaking the law while on
supervised release in relation to his 1989 computer fraud
conviction, United States Attorney Nora Manella
announced.
     Mitnick, 33, was sentenced by United States
District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer. The judge imposed an
eight-month sentence for Mitnick's guilty plea to
possession of cloned cellular phone codes. The judge
also sentenced Mitnick to 14 months in prison for
violating the terms of the supervised release Pfaelzer
imposed when she sentenced Mitnick in 1989 to one
year in prison for his conviction on computer fraud
charges.
     Mitnick pleaded guilty last year to one count of a
twenty-three count indictment first brought in North
Carolina. That indictment charged possession of
numerous fraudulent cellular codes that Mitnick used to
illegally access cellular phone networks. According to
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M.E.
Painter, Mitnick had more than 100 of these clone
cellular phone codes when he was arrested in North
Carolina.
     The 14-month sentence that will run consecutively
to the sentence imposed in the North Carolina case arose
from Mitnick ignoring conditions of his supervised release
in 1992. Painter said Mitnick disobeyed court orders not
to engage in further computer hacking or associate with
other known hackers. Mitnick violated these orders by
breaking into Pacific Bell voice mail computers and
listening to confidential messages of security personnel.
He also associated with Lewis DePayne, an individual
with whom he had previously engaged in computer
hacking.
     As part of his sentence, Judge Pfaelzer ordered
Mitnick to spend another three years on supervised
release after he completes his prison term. The judge
imposed a series of special conditions, including barring
Mitnick from possessing any computer equipment,
software or cellular phones without the express prior
approval of his probation officer. Furthermore, during the
period of supervised release, Mitnick will be prohibited
from being employed in any capacity in which he would
have access to computers, without the probation
officer's prior approval.
     Mitnick has been in custody since February 1995,
when he was arrested in North Carolina. Mitnick is
currently being detained without bond in relation to a
third case. Mitnick faces a twenty-five count indictment
returned last year by a grand jury in Los Angeles. The
latest indictment alleges computer fraud, wire fraud,
interception of wire communications and possession of
unauthorized passwords. The charges relate to numerous
computer intrusions and the alleged theft of million of
dollars of proprietary software during a 2 1/2-year period
when Mitnick was a fugitive.

     Release No. 97-159

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California
Nora M. Manella, United States Attorney
312 North Spring Street, 12th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90012
Main Office Number: 213-894-2434

Public Affairs Office: 213-894-6947; fax: 213-894-5377
Thom Mrozek: Public Information Officer
tmrozek@justice.usdoj.gov
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