Teen Admits To Online Crime Spree

A teenage hacker has plead guilty to several computer felonies, including denial-of-service attacks, false bomb threats, hoax emergency phone calls, and credit card fraud.

According to a report about the teenage hacker's crime spree in The Register, the 17-year-old -- known as "Dshocker" and infamous for attacks on other hackers in the online gaming space -- this week copped to one count each of computer fraud and interstate threats and four counts of wire fraud.

According to federal prosecutors in Boston, Dshocker has operated several botnets comprising tens of thousands of machines since 2005, which he used to launch DDoS attacks. He then turned his attention to a practice known as "swatting," in which he made hoax 911 calls that falsely reported violent crimes were under way. On at least several occasions, the calls prompted visits by armed police.

Dshocker also allegedly used stolen credit card information to make fraudulent purchases. In addition, he allegedly managed to gain free Internet access by stealing proprietary software from a large, unnamed electronics company and then used the software to modify his cable modem.

The teen, who was identified only by initials, agreed to an 11-month sentence of juvenile detention. Had he been tried as an adult, he could have faced a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, the report said.

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