Yale student arrested for on-line fraud

In the first successful prosecution of its kind, Yale University junior Nicholas Ryan was convicted last week of computer fraud involving an on-line service. Last Wednesday, Ryan pleaded guilty to creating a software program called AOL-4FREE which allowed users illegal access to America Online. Ryan's software allowed approximately 2,000 people per day to use the on-line service without paying the standard hourly rate, costing AOL as much as $70,000 in missed revenues. An advertisement Ryan placed in AOL chat groups led to his arrest and later conviction of a felony offense under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. He was temporarily released on a $10,000 bond. His sentencing is scheduled for March 28 in Alexandria, Va., and he faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. AOL officials said they hoped a conviction would help to deter potential hackers. "We hope this conviction sends a message to our members that AOL is dedicated to stoping hackers and their activities on the service and creating a safe and enjoyable experience," AOL spokesperson Tatiana Gau said. "It also serves as a warning to any would-be hackers that AOL has zero tolerance for this kind of behavior," she added. Yale officials refused to comment on whether or not the university would seek to discipline Ryan. According to a report in the Yale Daily News, Ryan may not have violated school policies if he conducted his activities from an off-campus location. Yale regulations state that "off-campus misconduct will not normally be the basis for disciplinary action by the university." Ryan told the Daily News last week that he has had no problem enrolling in classes this semester and does not plan to leave the school. The Computer Science major, according to the paper, was known around Yale's campus as "Happy Hardcore" and "Tech Boy" because of his efforts to break into the university's e-mail and grade systems.