Albert Gonzalez

Margaret Whittington was expecting company in an hour and a half. She had flowers on the table and a chicken baking in the oven. But what promised to be a pleasant evening soon became a long nightmare that's still not over. While she was busy in the kitchen of her Sylmar cottage, her husband, Edward Wagner, went to fetch something from a two-story house next door that the couple uses as an office. They rent both the cottage and two-story house on Paddock Street.

Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a former government informant with the nation's largest theft of credit and debit card data, accusing him of swiping 130 million accounts on top of 40 million he stole previously. Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, broke his own record for identity theft by hacking into retail networks, according to prosecutors, though they say his illicit exploits ended when he went to jail on charges stemming from an earlier case. Gonzalez helped the Secret Service hunt hackers, authorities say. The agency later learned that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on investigations, authorities said.

Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a former government informant with the nation's largest theft of credit and debit card data, accusing him of swiping 130 million accounts on top of 40 million he stole previously. Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, broke his own record for identity theft by hacking into retail networks, according to prosecutors, though they say his illicit exploits ended when he went to jail on charges stemming from an earlier case. Gonzalez helped the Secret Service hunt hackers, authorities say. The agency later learned that he had also been working with criminals and feeding them information on investigations, authorities said.

Margaret Whittington was expecting company in an hour and a half. She had flowers on the table and a chicken baking in the oven. But what promised to be a pleasant evening soon became a long nightmare that's still not over. While she was busy in the kitchen of her Sylmar cottage, her husband, Edward Wagner, went to fetch something from a two-story house next door that the couple uses as an office. They rent both the cottage and two-story house on Paddock Street.

A computer hacker who was once a federal informant and was a driving force behind one of the largest cases of identity theft in U.S. history pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors that will send him to prison for up to 25 years. Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami admitted pulling off some of the most prominent hacking jobs of the decade -- invading the computer systems of such retailers as TJX Cos., BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority. Federal authorities say tens of millions of credit and debit card numbers were stolen.

Sheriff's officials are searching for a gunman who fired at a passing car from a late-model truck Thursday evening. Jesus Albert Gonzalez, 18, of San Juan Capistrano escaped the flurry of bullets with only a flesh wound to his left forearm, a sheriff's spokesman said Friday. Sheriff's officers were notified of the incident by officials at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, where Gonzalez was treated.

A computer hacker accused of masterminding one of the largest cases of identity theft in U.S. history agreed to plead guilty and serve up to 25 years in federal prison for his crimes. Albert Gonzalez was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in federal courts in New York and Boston. Court documents filed in federal court in Boston indicate the 28-year-old Gonzalez agreed to plead guilty to 19 counts and combine the two cases in federal court in Massachusetts.

* What's the latest hit movie among cows? "Mooo-lan." (Jake Washburn, 9, Los Angeles, Westchester Lutheran School) * Why couldn't the snake learn its multiplication tables? Because it was an adder. (Daniel Villatoro, 12, Los Angeles, Mary McCloud Bethune Junior High) * Why did the boy throw water out a window? He wanted to see the water fall. (Albert Gonzalez, 7, Laguna Hills, Lomarena Elementary) * Why did the chicken go halfway across the street? So she could lay it on the line.

Has The Times Travel Section only recently discovered Monterey County? Earlier this spring you printed a feature article on Carmel. May 12 you selected Big Sur, only 26 miles south of Carmel, for another front-page story. What have we done to deserve all this attention? Enough travelers already clog the relatively few roads in Monterey County. The beaches often resemble those of Southern California on summer weekends. As a travel agent, I know that there are many beautiful places in the U.S. I respectfully request your travel section to explore those outside Monterey County for the next few years.

Avoid getting stuck in the middle with the El Camino Real High wrestling team. Bell learned that the hard way during the Conquistadores' 56-16 nonconference victory in a matchup of City Section powers Thursday night at El Camino Real. The Conquistadores (15-3) recorded victories in 11 of 14 weight classes, with Bell (7-8) earning one of its three victories by forfeit. Solid this season from top to bottom, El Camino Real flexed its muscle in the middle weights.

Marc Maiffret used to be a computer hacker. Now he gets paid to break into the systems of Southern California businesses, testing for security weaknesses. His client today is a major Los Angeles auto dealer, which sells fancy luxury cars to celebrities and corporate execs. The head of the company wants to check on the safety of his customer data. It's not an idle worry. Just days earlier, a 28-year-old Miami man was charged by federal authorities with hacking into multiple computer systems and stealing 130 million credit and debit card numbers -- the largest computer crime ever prosecuted.