Ex-computer network admin faces 12 years in prison

JAIL : Ex-computer network admin faces 12 years in prison

for string of tech crimes

Mercury News

11/10/2008

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_10949785?nclick_check=1

A former San Jose computer network administrator faces up to 12 years in state prison for using his high-tech skills to commit a wave of burglaries, hacking incidents and identity thefts against local companies and even his neighbors.

Andrew Madrid, 34, pleaded guilty Friday to 14 counts of second degree burglary, four counts of computer hacking, three counts of identity theft and two counts of possession of methamphetamine for sale, according to Santa Clara County prosecutors.

Madrid, who was out on bail for drug and theft charges when he was arrested, is due to be sentenced by Judge Douglas Southard on Jan. 22. He has been in custody since March.

Prosecutors said he posed as a security guard and IT employee to gain access to several local companies and steal computer equipment.

Using his knowledge from years of working as a network administrator for a Sunnyvale high-tech firm, Madrid was able to pull off sophisticated crimes, including two cases where he hacked into corporate computers, stole data and used spyware to obtain security passwords.

Other times, he tapped into the unprotected wireless networks of his San Jose neighbors. In another of his schemes, he placed phony bar codes on expensive computer equipment so he could buy them at much cheaper prices.

Madrid was arrested after investigations by the local high-tech crimes task force, the Sunnyvale Department of Safety and the Los Gatos, Santa Clara and San Jose