Last updated:04/03/2008
Computer scheme student pleads guilty

A student who was arrested in November pleaded guilty to his part in an internet scheme that crashed the University of Pennsylvania’s computer system.

Ryan Goldstein pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another person to gain unauthorised access to a protected computer, the US Attorney’s Office announced. US District Judge Michael M. Baylson set sentencing for June 3.

Prosecutors estimated that Goldstein could get six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

Goldstein pleaded to a lesser charge than the count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud on which he was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Assistant US Attorney Michael L. Levy and defense attorney Ronald H. Levine began plea negotiations, leading to the charge to which Goldstein pleaded guilty. Goldstein was among eight arrested nationwide in an FBI probe. Officials said the attack that crashed Penn’s computer server involved 50,000 infected computers.