from: The Courtyard@813xxxxxxxEXTxx item: 9 subj: 3 teen "wizards" arrested from: Hannibal Lecter (Poopiescmoo of FuKU) on : Sat 7-Nov-1992 3:19p Brooksvile--One boy recently won his school's "pride" award <-- AJAX Another is a top student who has already earned a college scholorship. And a third is a 15 year old high school student. Together, police say, the three Hernando County youths tapped into private telephone systems and became part of a nationwide computer hacking network responsible for bills that in one case reached $36,000. The calls went out to the United Kingdom, Germany, CANADA and many other destinations. It took officials for the Secret Service, three communications companies, and state and country investigators to track the case to the youths. "Were expecting close to 20 additional victims, based on the information recieved from telephone carriers." says Captain Rich Nugent. Arrested Thursday night were Brian McGrogan, 16, Edmund Padgett, 17, who were charged as adults, and the 15 year old Brooksville boy. Nugent said that the sherriff's office learned of the fraud when the operator of a local computer company bulletin board operator complained he was the victim of a computer virus that was downloaded to his system. "Then we started receiving information from Southern Bell, At&t, and MCI; we learned that Hernando Health Care had been the victim of $36,000 in long distance charges: from August to November, Nugent said. (Nugent huh!) Ivestigators from the communications companies, the Florida Department of Law enforcement and the Secret Service pooled for information and expertise with the Hernando detectives to track the phone charges to the three youths. Amoung other victims of the alleged fraud were SunBank; Sprint; Encore, a Texas telecommunications company; and CBI Equifax of Atlanta, according to officials. (How could CBI be a victim of telephone fraud?? Are these just places that were called? C'mon now really!! I dont think these guys lost SHIT!) McGrogan (AJAX) and Padgett were charged with organized fraud and the violation of intellectual property, felony charges punishable by up to 30 years in prison for both, said assistant State Attorney Don Scaglione. They were released late Friday night on their own recognizance. The Juvenile was charged with Grand theft, offenses against against intellectual property and offenses against computer equipmant or supplies, according to the sherrifs news release. (???) Investigators from NEW YORK and Virginia also used information from the local case to arrest seven others, the Sherrif's Office says. (Did someone NARK??) Those arrested in Florida, New York, and Virginia, allegedly belonged to a loose network of hackers who obtain computer data and access information illegally, Nugent Said. "These kids do it like a hobby," he said. "To them, it's veruy exciting. The break security systems and get access to things nobody else can access. They enjoy it. They spend most of their time hacking away at their computers. To them there's a thrill to it, a rush to it." McGrogan (AJAX), a 10th grader at Springstead High School, won thre school's pride award because he raised is geometry grade from an F to an A. Mrs McGrogan said she had bought Brian (AJAX LAME) his first computer when he was 10. He owned an $800 used computer, a $300 printer, and a $10 modem (?! 10?!) she said. All the teenagers computer equipment was confiscated by deputies. The rest is parent sob stories... Now you see hwat happens when you are cool like Ajax and insist on using things straight from home...real winner here..set an example for all. _______________________ | ][annibal Lecter | """""""""""""""""""""""