1965

Computer Criminal

Kevin Mitnick, a native of Southern California, became one of lIthe most prominent computer hackers in history. Mitnick gained access into the computer systems of such companies as Fujitsu, Motorola, Novell, and Sun to steal—or “copy”—software, product plans, and e-mails. He also illegally monitored cellular phone conversations. In the early 1990s he led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on a two-year chase across the country. Captured in North Carolina in 1995, he was accused of having stolen more than $1 million worth of software. (See original entry on Mitnick in Outlaws, Mobsters, & Crooks, Volume 2.)

Technology off limits

In March 1999, after waiting four years to be tried, Mitnick pled guilty to five counts of a federal indictment (accusation) that charged him with making unauthorized electronic transfers of company-owned software. The trial was conducted in federal court in Los Angeles, California...