Melissa author sentenced and fined again

David L Smith, the creator of the Melissa Word macro worm, has received a 10 year prison sentence in a state court, but has been told he will be out in less than 2 years.

The sentence, laid down by state Superior Court Judge Lawrence Lawson in New Jersey on May 4, follows Smith’s sentencing of 20 months imprisonment and a $5000 fine at an earlier federal court hearing.

Smith received the maximum “10 year sentence to run concurrently and co-terminously to the federal sentence”, which means that Smith’s sentence will expire when he completes his earlier federal sentence of 20 months imprisonment.

Smith was also fined $2,500 on a single count of computer theft. In early 1999 Smith stole another user’s AOL account to initially distribute his virus via a sex usenet newsgroup.

Article courtesy of Sophos.