Pennsylvania Man Arrested on Computer Hacking Charges

WASHINGTON—Charges were unsealed this morning against a Pennsylvania man, alleging that he hacked into computer networks in Massachusetts and around the country and then sold unauthorized access to those networks.

The charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts, and Special Agent in Charge Richard DesLauriers of the FBI in Boston.

Andrew James Miller, 23, of Devon, Pennsylvania, was arrested this morning on charges contained in a four-count indictment filed in the District of Massachusetts. He is charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts of computer fraud, and one count of access device fraud.

According to the indictment, between 2008 and 2011, Miller and others allegedly remotely hacked into computer networks belonging to RNK Telecommunications Inc., a Massachusetts company; Crispin Porter and Bogusky Inc., a Colorado advertising agency; the University of Massachusetts; the U.S. Department of Energy; and other institutions and companies. The indictment alleges that when Miller hacked into the computers, he obtained other users’ access credentials to the compromised computers. He and his co-conspirators then allegedly sold access to these computer networks as well as other access credentials.

If convicted, Miller faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count and one of the computer fraud counts, and up to 10 years in prison on one of the computer fraud counts and the access device fraud count, to be followed by three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Bookbinder of U.S. Attorney Ortiz’s Cybercrime Unit.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.