Computer Fraud

An auto repair shop owner who produced fraudulent smog certificates will serve 30 days in jail but will be allowed to continue working during the day and return to jail at night, a Superior Court judge ordered last week.

The co-owner of a South-Central auto shop pleaded no contest last week to a charge that he produced fraudulent smog-check certificates. Prosecutors said they will recommend a sentence of nine months in jail for Miguel Angel Vaca, 23, co-owner of Mad's Auto Repair, 809 W. Florence Ave., at his June 21 sentencing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The owner of a South-Central auto shop was sentenced to seven months in jail and his son was sentenced to three months after they admitted producing fake smog certificates. Antonio Baltazar, 48, owner of Tony's Auto Sales at 3900 N. Figueroa St., and his son Marco, 20, each pleaded guilty Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court to one count of computer fraud. They were also sentenced to three years' probation and ordered to relinquish their smog check licenses.

San Diego police say they have cracked a nationwide electronic network of young computer hackers who were able to make fraudulent credit card purchases and break into confidential credit rating files. "These kids can get any information they want on you--period," San Diego police Detective Dennis Sadler said. "We didn't believe it until it was demonstrated to us."

Pinkerton Security & Investigation Services, the 141-year-old detective agency whose slogan is "the eye that never sleeps," was caught napping by an employee who embezzled more than $1 million from the firm. Marita Juse, 48, of Burbank, pleaded guilty to computer fraud this week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Between January, 1988, and December, 1990, Juse wired $1.1 million of Pinkerton funds to her own account and accounts of two fictitious companies.

Pinkerton Security & Investigation Services, the 141-year-old detective agency whose slogan is "the eye that never sleeps," was caught napping by an employee who embezzled more than $1 million from the firm. Marita Juse, 48, of Burbank pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court this week to computer fraud, one of the first such cases in Southern California.

General Electric Co. today was fined $10 million for defrauding the federal government on a contract to supply mobile combat computer systems and agreed to pay $20 million to settle other civil matters. One of two officials convicted in the scheme, Gerald Leo, 52, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for his role in covering up the scheme. Sentencing proceedings were continuing for the other official, James Badolato, 42.

A young bank executive broke into his bank's computer security system and stole nearly $1.5 million in Malaysia's biggest case of computer fraud, police said today. The executive attracted suspicion when he bought a red Lamborghini, three Porsches and a Mercedes-Benz, the New Straits Times daily newspaper said, citing police and banking sources. It said the arrest was made last week. Police confirmed that they had seized luxury cars the 24-year-old man had purchased.

A "hacker" charged with infiltrating computer systems in the United States and England, was declared "a very, very great danger to the community" Tuesday by a judge who renewed his imprisonment without bail. U.S. District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer made her ruling after Kevin David Mitnick, 25, of Panorama City pleaded not guilty to computer fraud charges and his attorney urged the judge to release him on bail.