R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and William T. Sims, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced that defendant, Justin A. Perras, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp in West Palm Beach, after having pleaded guilty earlier to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft in connection with the Accurint database intrusion. Perras was sentenced to one year imprisonment followed by three years supervised release, and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay restitution to Lexis/Nexis (the owner of the Accurint database) and the Port Orange Police Department in the amount of $105,750.29.
The four co-defendants of Perras were sentenced on December 15, 2006 by United States District Court Judge Kenneth L. Ryskamp for their roles in the conspiracy. Timothy McKeage was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, and 100 hours of community service. Jason Daniel Hawks was sentenced to three years probation with 100 hours of community service. Zachary Wiley Mann was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, and 100 hours of community service. Jeffrey Robert Weinberg was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, and 100 hours of community service. All five of the defendants are restricted from using computers and were ordered to pay joint and several restitution to Lexis/Nexis (the owner of the Accurint database) and the Port Orange Police Department in the amount of $105,750.29.
The case originated with a complaint from Seisint, Inc. in Boca Raton to the United States Secret Service. Seisint is the owner of the product Accurint and was acquired by LexisNexis in 2004. The defendants accessed computers through various methods (computer intrusion, Trojan horse, social engineering) and obtained user login identifications and passwords and subsequently made unauthorized entries into the Accurint database which is similar to Autotrack and used by law enforcement and others. Due to the company’s prompt reporting of these computer intrusions, the United States Secret Service was able to terminate the defendants’ access to the system and to identify and prosecute the culprits.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the United States Secret Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita J. Gay.
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