Arnold man pleads guilty in federal fraud case
Published March 17th, 2006
An Arnold man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to hacking into a Proctor & Gamble Co. computer, stealing 37,000 calling card PIN numbers and then trying to sell them on eBay.
Michael R. Wally, 22, of 1600 Woodmont Ave., Apt. 4, entered the plea on a charge of wire fraud, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh.
Wally hacked into a Proctor & Gamble Co. computer server and stole 37,000 Sprint calling card PIN numbers, valued at $9 each, said Luke Dembosky, assistant U.S. attorney.
They had been offered by the company’s Folgers brand during a Mother’s Day promotion, and individuals could register on Folgers’ Web site for one free calling card per household.
After the promotion ended, Wally gained unauthorized access to the promotion’s Web page. He circumvented security features to obtain the PIN numbers, which he then transferred to a computer server in Tampa, Fla., for his own use, prosecutors said.
Wally then sold some of the PIN numbers on eBay, according to court documents.
Wally and his computer skills first came to local attention when, as a student at Burrell High School, he created a forum-based Web site, www.burrellsucks.com. That now-defunct site was a hit with students but a thorn in the side of teachers and administrators.
Senior Judge Alan N. Block accepted Wally, guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 8 in Pittsburgh.
Wally faces a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, prosecutors said.
