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Spam King Pleads Guilty in Seattle

Posted by Zonk on from the why-would-you-want-to-be-king-of-that dept.

arbitraryaardvark writes "The Seattle Times reports that spammer Robert Soloway has pled guilty to mail fraud and tax evasion, in exchange for the state dropping multiple counts of identify theft. 'The electronic-mail fraud charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. The tax charge is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum one-year sentence. The law also allows for fines against Soloway and his business of up to $625,000 on all charges. Both sides agreed to let U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman determine not just the amount of prison time Soloway, 28, might serve but also the number of his victims, the size of any fine and the amount of restitution he may be ordered to pay.' We've previously discussed his arrest and mention in the New Yorker. The wire fraud felony count is based on selling $500 packages to wannabe spammers."

4 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For sending too much email? by thyrf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's all fair and well if you're only expecting email from certain servers, but for most of us a deny-by-all service doesn't cut it.

  2. Re:I hope... by Bored+MPA · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because rape, HIV, and Hepatitis aren't cruel and unusual punishment in your book? Or is that just the line you toss out to get out of jury duty?

    Your comedic take is about as funny as the drunk guy I saw yesterday that said "Ooops, you just knocked over your home" when he walked past a homeless guy that dropped a cardboard box yesterday.

  3. Calm down! by xaxa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There's too many comments suggesting he should be killed, raped, or otherwise hurt. If you seriously approve of that kind of punishment, either
    a) move to a country with Sharia law
    b) save it for the worst offenders, those that actually murder others, like some US states do
    c) grow up. At worst he's annoyed you, and maybe cost you a bit of time or money.

    1. Re:Calm down! by dissy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's too many comments suggesting he should be killed, raped, or otherwise hurt. Seriously.

      For the people advocating death/rape for this guy: just wait until you are falsely imprisoned, or simply imprisoned for a minor infraction such as telling your mind verbally to someone who turns out to be on the 'good' side of the law. It happens very frequently in this country. And non zero odds that it will happen to you as well.

      To everyone else: don't get me wrong, I'm not at all saying Soloway is innocent and should not be punished for his crimes. Just that wishing cruel and unusual punishments on him, which sadly are highly likely to happen to anyone that ends up in jail or prison, will also be forced on a small part of the innocent population as well, and that it's never right.

      I also don't feel stupidity should be punished with nightly beatings, rape, disfigurement, torture, and potentially murder in the prison system either, despite the fact that the people wishing these things on others will probably never learn just how stupid such desires are until it happens to them.
      But I sure do wish there was less stupid people in the world, such as those that cheer for this sort of treatment.