Jonathan James (c0mrade)

Jonathan Joseph James, known online as c0mrade, was an American hacker from Miami. Between June and October 1999, at age 15, he installed a backdoor on a Defense Threat Reduction Agency server and intercepted employee messages and passwords. He also accessed NASA computers and downloaded source code for the International Space Station's environmental control software, prompting NASA to shut systems down for weeks.

Sentence

In 2000 James pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months of house arrest and probation, later serving six months in a juvenile facility after a probation violation. He was widely reported as the first juvenile incarcerated for cybercrime in the United States.

Death

In 2008 the Secret Service searched James' home as part of the investigation into the TJX and other retail breaches led by Albert Gonzalez. James denied involvement; on 18 May 2008 he died by suicide, leaving a note saying he had no faith in the justice system.

Timeline

• 1983-12-12Born in Miami, Florida.
• 1999-06Begins intrusions into DTRA and NASA systems.
• 2000-09Sentenced after pleading guilty; becomes the first juvenile jailed for cybercrime in the U.S.
• 2008-05-18Dies by suicide after being questioned in the TJX breach investigation.