Another Robert Confesses to Cybercrime

March 18th, 2008 by JM Hipolito (Technical Communications)

Hmmm… Are most cyber criminals named Robert?

Just recently, the “King of Spam” Robert Soloway pleaded guilty to charges against him as another Robert, 21-year-old Robert Matthew Bentley of Panama City, Florida also pleaded guilty to felony charges related to his botnet activities. The US-based hacker, The Register reports, admitted to cashing in thousands of dollars by hacking corporate computers in Europe and turning them into bots.

Robert, who went by the codename LSDigital, worked with other hackers to install customized tools on hundreds of Newell Rubbermaid’s computers. The company reportedly sustained at least $150,000 worth of damage as the malware has caused network shares to stop functioning due to too much traffic on the company’s servers.

Bentley’s arrest and prosecution were part of the FBI’s project called Operation Bot Roast, made to crack down on botnet crime. He is among the first eight of the bot herders identified and later prosecuted through the efforts of the said FBI initiative.

Despite possibly facing a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 for charges against him, Bentley is said to qualify for “the granting of relief” if he provides assistance in the investigation and prosecution of other individuals related to botnet activities.

This project by the FBI is considerably a huge step to show cyber criminals that they should be wary of their actions; as the long arm of the law has now extended into the cyberworld.

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