TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez convicted, gets 20 years
Albert Gonzalez, also known as the TJX hacker has been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday. He and a gang of cyber thevies had made away with 90 million credit card and debit card numbers from TJX and other retailers.
IN THE largest American computer crime case ever, Albert Gonzalez, also known as the TJX hacker has been convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday. He and a gang of cyber thevies had made away with 90 million credit card and debit card numbers from TJX and other retailers. The TJX hacker has also been fined $25,000.
Before the sentencing, TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez had told the court he regretted the crime. He also apologised for the personal relations he destroyed with the crime. “I blame nobody but myself. I violated the sanctity of my parents’ home by using it to stash illegal proceeds.”
Albert Gonzalez had earlier in the case argued that he had not worked the “Operation Get Rich or Die Tryin" for any devious motive, but for technical curiosity and "an obsession with conquering computer networks". This was disproved when chat logs showed him confiding in an accomplice that he wanted to earn $15 million, buy a yacht and then retire.
In the case, the TJX hacker had faced a sentence between 15 and 25 years, with him arguing several times for the minimum and the government advocating the maximum. He had argued that he suffered from Asperger’s disorder and computer addiction. He also claimed co-operation with the government against other accomplices and that he had helped them with the breaches they hadn't detected so far.
Assistant attorney Stephan Heymann had urged the court to give him 25 years as a deterrant to cyber crime. He said, Gonzalez conned law enforcement once before with the idea that he had seen the error of his ways. What matters is that teenagers and young people not look up to him.”
As per government claims, the TJX hacker cost companies and banks nearly $200 million, apart from victimising scores of the people. He had undertaken the scam between 2005 to 2008, while he was working as a paid undercover informant for the Secret Service.
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