[SpamCop-List] [Media]: Former AOL Worker Gets Prison For Selling Names

[Ron B.]

Former AOL Worker Gets Prison For Selling Names
15-Month Sentence Less Than Maximum In Deal

POSTED: 5:06 pm CDT August 17, 2005

NEW YORK -- A 25-year-old former America Online employee has been
sentenced to a year and three months in prison, after admitting he sold
all 92 million screen names and e-mail addresses to spammers.

Jason Smathers apologized in court today for a theft that resulted in
spammers sending out up to 7 billion unsolicited e-mails. His lawyer
called the theft a "dumb, stupid, insane act."

Earlier this year, Smathers pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in a
plea deal that had called for a sentence of at least 18 months in prison.

The judge imposed a reduced sentence, saying he recognized Smathers
cooperated fully but lacked information to build other criminal cases.