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http://www.northernlife.ca/localnewsarticle.asp?view=93670
A young man with an apparent fixation on obtaining police-issued equipment found out the hard way that compromising the integrity of Internet security systems will result in a harsh penalty.
Ryan Hopkins, 22, was sent to jail for six months Wednesday and ordered to turn over all police memorabilia he obtained illegally after pleading guilty to defrauding several customers by stealing different Internet personal identification numbers (PIN) to purchase police badges.
After his sentence is complete, Justice William Fitzgerald placed Hopkins on probation for 18 months and ordered him to refrain from attempting to purchase any police-issued equipment or paraphenalia over the Internet.
Hopkins, who is deaf, was assisted in court with the assistance of an American Sign Language interpreter.
Court heard that between November of 2004 and March of this year, Hopkins went online and somehow managed to steal account information from several clients, including some from the United States and one in Europe.
The payment method was supposed to be secured, but Hopkins managed to steal account information to try and make numerous purchases on the Internet, said assistant Crown attorney Marc Huneault.
In one case, Hopkins attempted to purchase a legitimate Los Angeles Chief of Police badge at a cost of $82 Canadian, said Huneault.
Payment on that transaction was never completed as the Internet account provider noticed problems. However, the man whose account was defrauded by Hopkins was out the $82, said Huneault.
In a second case, Hopkins purchased a Wells-Fargo Security badge, for a cost of $37. When Greater Sudbury Police finished their investigation and charged Hopkins, he was in possession of this badge.
The man whose account was defrauded in this case lived in London, England, said Huneault.
In a third case, Hopkins attempted to purchase a New York Police Department Detective’s badge from a retired officer for a price of $253.
Again, Internet officials noticed the transaction and Hopkins didn’t receive the badge, but the man whose account Hopkins compromised was defrauded, said Huneault.
Hopkins also purchased an Ontario Provincial Police auxiliary department badge, at a cost of $82. Again the transaction was cancelled, but another man’s Internet account was compromised.
A short time later, Hopkins illegally purchased a $2,200 snowmobile from a local dealer over the Internet by breaking into another man’s account.
When police arrested Hopkins, the snowmobile was seized.
Court heard Hopkins has accumulated a long criminal record, despite his young age, and the courts have been lenient by granting him two separate conditional sentences to be served in the community.
Defence counsel Terry Waltenbury said he couldn’t in good conscience ask for another conditional sentence, considering the seriousness of this
offence and the number of counts involved.
Hopkins has had “a somewhat hard life” as he was separated from his supportive mother to attend a school for the deaf at a young age, said Waltenbury.
Hopkins has shown remorse and was very co-operative with authorities once he was caught and his pleas of guilt saved what would have been a long and very difficult trial.
Spending any time in jail is difficult for a young man who has never been imprisoned for any length of time before and will be particularly difficult for
Hopkins because of his deafness, he said.
Huneault said Hopkins “appears to have an unhealthy interest in police paraphernalia” and there are concerns he might have been trying to purchase these badges to present himself as an officer.
Like it or not, the Internet plays a big role in the lives of millions of people and ensuring the integrity of legitimate customers who make legal purchases is of paramount concern, said Huneault.
Justice William Fitzgerald agreed a six-month sentence was appropriate and during 18 months of probation, ordered Hopkins to refrain from making any purchases over the Internet.
He also ordered a restitution order to repay those clients he defrauded in making the police-related transactions.
A young man with an apparent fixation on obtaining police-issued equipment found out the hard way that compromising the integrity of Internet security systems will result in a harsh penalty.
Ryan Hopkins, 22, was sent to jail for six months Wednesday and ordered to turn over all police memorabilia he obtained illegally after pleading guilty to defrauding several customers by stealing different Internet personal identification numbers (PIN) to purchase police badges.
After his sentence is complete, Justice William Fitzgerald placed Hopkins on probation for 18 months and ordered him to refrain from attempting to purchase any police-issued equipment or paraphenalia over the Internet.
Hopkins, who is deaf, was assisted in court with the assistance of an American Sign Language interpreter.
Court heard that between November of 2004 and March of this year, Hopkins went online and somehow managed to steal account information from several clients, including some from the United States and one in Europe.
The payment method was supposed to be secured, but Hopkins managed to steal account information to try and make numerous purchases on the Internet, said assistant Crown attorney Marc Huneault.
In one case, Hopkins attempted to purchase a legitimate Los Angeles Chief of Police badge at a cost of $82 Canadian, said Huneault.
Payment on that transaction was never completed as the Internet account provider noticed problems. However, the man whose account was defrauded by Hopkins was out the $82, said Huneault.
In a second case, Hopkins purchased a Wells-Fargo Security badge, for a cost of $37. When Greater Sudbury Police finished their investigation and charged Hopkins, he was in possession of this badge.
The man whose account was defrauded in this case lived in London, England, said Huneault.
In a third case, Hopkins attempted to purchase a New York Police Department Detective’s badge from a retired officer for a price of $253.
Again, Internet officials noticed the transaction and Hopkins didn’t receive the badge, but the man whose account Hopkins compromised was defrauded, said Huneault.
Hopkins also purchased an Ontario Provincial Police auxiliary department badge, at a cost of $82. Again the transaction was cancelled, but another man’s Internet account was compromised.
A short time later, Hopkins illegally purchased a $2,200 snowmobile from a local dealer over the Internet by breaking into another man’s account.
When police arrested Hopkins, the snowmobile was seized.
Court heard Hopkins has accumulated a long criminal record, despite his young age, and the courts have been lenient by granting him two separate conditional sentences to be served in the community.
Defence counsel Terry Waltenbury said he couldn’t in good conscience ask for another conditional sentence, considering the seriousness of this
offence and the number of counts involved.
Hopkins has had “a somewhat hard life” as he was separated from his supportive mother to attend a school for the deaf at a young age, said Waltenbury.
Hopkins has shown remorse and was very co-operative with authorities once he was caught and his pleas of guilt saved what would have been a long and very difficult trial.
Spending any time in jail is difficult for a young man who has never been imprisoned for any length of time before and will be particularly difficult for
Hopkins because of his deafness, he said.
Huneault said Hopkins “appears to have an unhealthy interest in police paraphernalia” and there are concerns he might have been trying to purchase these badges to present himself as an officer.
Like it or not, the Internet plays a big role in the lives of millions of people and ensuring the integrity of legitimate customers who make legal purchases is of paramount concern, said Huneault.
Justice William Fitzgerald agreed a six-month sentence was appropriate and during 18 months of probation, ordered Hopkins to refrain from making any purchases over the Internet.
He also ordered a restitution order to repay those clients he defrauded in making the police-related transactions.
