Computer Hacker Pleads Guilty

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Inspector General

Washington, D.C. 20546

RELEASE: 2001-018

On December 1, 2000, Raymond J. Torricelli, New Rochelle, New York,
appeared before United States District Court Judge Michael B. Mukasey,
Southern District of New York, and pled guilty to five counts of a
criminal information charging him with gaining unauthorized access to
nonpublic computers, unauthorized interception of communications, and
unauthorized possession of access devices (credit card numbers and
usernames/passwords).

The criminal information alleged that Torricelli gained unauthorized
access to two computers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, California. Torricelli also allegedly had unauthorized
possession of credit card numbers, usernames and passwords for
additional computer systems. As a result of his guilty plea,
Torricelli faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison and fines
totaling $950,000. Sentencing has been set for March 7, 2001.

This investigation was conducted by Special Agents of the NASA Office
of Inspector General, Computer Crimes Division, and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph V. DeMarco,
Southern District of New York, handled the prosecution.

For more information on this release, please call Steven J. Nesbitt,
Director of Operations, Computer Crimes Division at (202) 358-2576.