Computer Hacker Sentenced to Two Years In Federal Prison

Post by **Tami** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:36 am

COMPUTER HACKER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that GREGORY KING, 21, of Fairfield, Calif., was sentenced to two years in federal prison. KING was also ordered to pay over $69,000 in restitution. Online, KING was known as Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting code to cause damage to a protected computer on June 10, 2008.
This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the FBI, whose agents analyzed Internet logs, executed search warrants, performed forensic analysis of KING’s computers, and took KING’s confession.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, who prosecuted the case, KING admitted to using a “botnet” to conduct distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS attacks) against two different business Web sites: Killanet and Castlecops. A botnet is a network of malware-infected, zombie computers (bots) that can be used to conduct DDOS attacks, send spam, and commit fraud over the Internet. Bots are also used to infect other computers and thus propagate the botnet. The owners of the infected computers do not know that their computers have been infected with “botware,” but their computers can nonetheless be secretly directed by the “bot herder,” the person in control of the botnet. In a DDOS attack, a bot herder directs the bots to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer.

KING admitted to controlling about 7,000 bots and using them to DDOS attack Killanet and Castlecops. Killanet is an interactive forum where members could share advice on graphic design, web design, photography, and gaming and was DDOS attacked in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Castlecops is an Internet security community specializing in anti-phishing, malware analysis, and combatting spam and was DDOS attacked in 2007.

On October 1, 2007, FBI agents went to KING’s residence to arrest him. After agents knocked on the front door, KING exited the back door, hid a laptop computer in the backyard, and then returned to answer the front door. Pursuant to a search warrant, the laptop was seized and searched. It contained, among other things, botnet software and references to KING’s various Internet monikers.

U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott said, “Botnets are a 21st Century menace. Hackers need to know that if they engage in this kind of conduct, they risk federal prosecution, prison, and a restitution order that will be with them for a long time.”

Official Press Release (PDF)

Post by **NightStorm** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:13 am

It's bittersweet, really. It's great that this is finally behind us, and that I know exactly where Greg will be for the next two years...
But on the flipside, I wish that he would have listened to the multitude of warnings that we gave him, or that he took advantage of the offers we placed out before him to use his apparent intelligence for something better... or even that he wouldn't have ended up wasting our and the Court and FBI's time just to end up admitting in the end that he had done what we already spent hundreds of hours gathering evidence to prove, all because he originally claimed innocence.
Overall though, I suppose I should be happy. And don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that it's over and that the World can see that stupid crap like this won't be tollerated any more... but it would have been nice if it happened 3 years ago... or if it never had to happen in the first place.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:17 am

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:39 am

<img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... banned.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':banned:\' />

My thoughts EXACTLY! I'm also with NightStorm. I'm glad this is done, and glad I will know where he will be.... locked up with good ole bubba.

us3rX · Post by **us3rX** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:35 am

Just wondering, is there anything saying he can't touch a computer or anything when he gets out? But I am glad that this is finally "done." Hopefully now, Greg has learned his lesson.

~us3rX <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... /ph34r.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':ph34r:\' />

Post by **Tami** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:15 am

We haven't yet received a copy of the judgement, but in earlier discussions with the probation office, there was mention of such conditions.

Twister · Post by **Twister** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:22 am

wow... it has been a long time since those ddos attacks. Now it finally went through. I'm glad its over.

Antics · Post by **Antics** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:16 pm

I'm with NS on this as well.
I remember back then quite well, as its when I always frequented the chats (aka, wake up, go to school, find a way through the school's firewall to get in the chat, come home, get in the chat again <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... histle.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'(whistle)\' /> )

But that aside, I spoke to Greg quite a bit before he ever decided to do ignorant crap like that. Didn't seem like a bad guy -- but, I suppose its not hard to hide yourself online, eh folks?

Post by **NightStorm** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:31 pm

Assuming you *come* online, huh Antics? <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... >/blum.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':P\' />

cnrimgr1 · Post by **cnrimgr1** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:31 pm

Assuming you *come* online, huh Antics? <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... >/blum.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':P\' />

United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott
Eastern District of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Lauren Horwood Tuesday, October 7, 2008 PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae lauren.horwood@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 07-cr-442-LKK
COMPUTER HACKER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today that GREGORY KING, 21, of Fairfield, Calif., was sentenced to two years in federal prison. KING was also ordered to pay over $69,000 in restitution. Online, KING was known as Silenz, Silenz420, sZ, GregK, and Gregk707. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of transmitting code to cause damage to a protected computer on June 10, 2008.
This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the FBI, whose agents analyzed Internet logs, executed search warrants, performed forensic analysis of KING’s computers, and took KING’s confession.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, who prosecuted the case, KING admitted to using a “botnet” to conduct distributed denial of service attacks (DDOS attacks) against two different business Web sites: Killanet and Castlecops. A botnet is a network of malware-infected, zombie computers (bots) that can be used to conduct DDOS attacks, send spam, and commit fraud over the Internet. Bots are also used to infect other computers and thus propagate the botnet. The owners of the infected computers do not know that their computers have been infected with “botware,” but their computers can nonetheless be secretly directed by the “bot herder,” the person in control of the botnet. In a DDOS attack, a bot herder directs the bots to flood a victim computer with information and thereby disable the target computer.
KING admitted to controlling about 7,000 bots and using them to DDOS attack Killanet and Castlecops. Killanet is an interactive forum where members could share advice on graphic design, web design, photography, and gaming and was DDOS attacked in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Castlecops is an Internet security community specializing in anti-phishing, malware analysis, and combatting spam and was DDOS attacked in 2007.
On October 1, 2007, FBI agents went to KING’s residence to arrest him. After agents knocked on the front door, KING exited the back door, hid a laptop computer in the backyard, and then returned to answer the front door. Pursuant to a search warrant, the laptop was seized and searched. It contained, among other things, botnet software and references to KING’s various Internet monikers.
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott said, “Botnets are a 21st Century menace. Hackers need to know that if they engage in this kind of conduct, they risk federal prosecution, prison, and a restitution order that will be with them for a long time.”

this sucks
Let me start off by introducing myself My name is David AKA cnrimgr1 ( to the online community)

I was a part of pauls Forum at the time that this had happened .I cannot believe that it happened and the reason for it but i guess a hacker just has spare time on their hands and does things because they can ..I have been away from the *family * (online ) i had a 2 little ones and trying to put together some things in RL .. I loved pauls forum it was like a home away from home but it is now gone and has been sadly missed since its closure .. I have became a part of this forum and i am hoping to make this into my second home now. I have been around hijack this forums , security forums , virus forums ect... for more then a few years now .. If you need help or just want to stop by and say Hi i am always here.

- David