A former computer engineer for America Online was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison for stealing 92 million screen names and e-mail addresses and selling them to an unsolicited bulk e-mail marketer.
Twenty-four-year-old Jason Smathers – who pleaded guilty to violating conspiracy and federal anti-spam laws – was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
Smathers, of Harpers Ferry WV, allegedly was paid more than $100,000 for selling the e-mail addresses to Sean Dunaway, 21, who reportedly used the addresses to send gambling advertisements to AOL users. Dunaway was arrested on related charges in June of 2004. The case against Dunaway is pending.
Smathers was reportedly teary-eyed as he told the judge “I know I
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