Fresno (CA) - If you ever have the opportunity to illegally change your grades, think of these two California students - they're facing up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for exactly that crime.

29-year-old John Escalera and 28-year-old Gustavo Razo were indicted on October 25 for hacking their way into the California State University, Fresno computer system and changing their grades.

According to the charges, Escalara worked in CSUF's information technology department and was able to slip into the grading database fairly easily.  He allegedly used the password of his supervisor to gain access to some of the university's most sensitive data banks.

Charges included in the indictment include unauthorized computer access, wire fraud, conspiracy, and identity theft.  If convicted they could each serve as much as 20 years in prison, with fines totaling $250,000.  

The indictment also specifies that the students' grades were changed several times between January and June 2004.  Razo allegedly paid cash to Escalera to bump up his grades, while Escalera also increased his own scores.

The IT staff became aware of the problem during a routine audit.

They have an "A" for thier efforts :)

Nov 05, 2007 07:03     

They have an "A" for thier efforts :)
JP report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Which is worse?

Nov 05, 2007 07:09     

A $250,000 fine? Was the RIAA involved in this case too?
accrajoe report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

hmm

Nov 05, 2007 07:25     

..before I read the article I thought it was some teenagers who really hacked into the school system, and I also thought "those kids will definitely get some job offers after they get out/punished"... But after reading the article it's clear it was not really a true hack but more of an insider using someone else's credentials (I suppose it's a form of social engineering)... and they didn't even have the forethought to cover their tracks... noobs

Joe report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Hacking?

Nov 05, 2007 08:25     

"He allegedly used the password of his supervisor to gain access" That's hacking?
Brandon report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Throw out some chaff

Nov 05, 2007 09:28     

Changing just his own grades was really stupid, if you're going to do something like this you need to change enough grades randomly to be able to claim ignorance. Hell even lower a grade or two of your own, and do it in several sessions, even omitting yourself from some of the sessions, pick a fallguy (preferably someone doing well in the CS department) and include them every time with all positive grades. That way if it's ever discovered you are just another random benefactor.

Kellen report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Wonder if they can hack out of prison

Nov 05, 2007 09:32     

At least they will be able to teach the other cons how to use computers. Could be worth a few packs of cigs or a reach around.
noob report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

It's easier to legally change them.

Nov 05, 2007 09:34     

If the never got caught would they be changing their salaries at their new jobs? I think this that or the other, 5 years community service, or a $50,000 fine. and revoke their computer access for 10 years. "grades were changed several times" over a 6 month time frame, idiots. I wonder if they were even failing any of their classes?
coldmast report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

imbalance

Nov 05, 2007 10:08     

20 years and $250,000; funny how these crimes seem to net worse penalties that rape, murder, and pedophilia. Shows how corporate crimes rate higher than personal.
Jim report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

re: hmm

Nov 05, 2007 11:25     

Yeah I agree, not really hacking just being stupid. Had they not used someone else's password, they probably wouldn't have been charged with ID Theft, though I doubt very much it would've had much of an impact upon the gravity of their prison sentence
al report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

inside jobs

Nov 05, 2007 11:25     

most "hacks" are actually inside "social engineering" type jobs.
mcrex77 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Incompetent Academics

Nov 05, 2007 11:37     

As usual, when the academics are proven incompetent, they blame their betters. These kids should be running the school. The staff should be fired.
Ricky report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

... where is...

Nov 05, 2007 12:13     

where's the "hacking"?
eeto report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Social Engineering

Nov 05, 2007 13:54     

This is not hacking in the true sense of the word. I would say they certainly pulled off a computer attack though. Social engineering means using a knowledge of human nature to get information from people. In computer attacks, the information is usually a password to a network or other information an attacker could use to compromise a network. Believe it or not, they are probably the biggest security threat to networks and the most difficult to protect against. If caught, this is the price to pay!

Blammy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

time=what...?

Nov 05, 2007 15:01     

too long. they were too inactive. its doubtful they were even doing anything but fooling around. also; 1. administrator should be fired! howd he let a student see his password??? he must be an idiot! 2. how did they find out about the grade changes during an AUDIT??? thats for money...... 3. if they had bad grades, they were probably too dumb too do it. if they are smart, but with bad grades, sue the school system for poor teaching methods!

Nathan report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

25000 and 20yrs is too much by far

Nov 05, 2007 15:07     

Free Kevin
asit report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Re: Incompetent Academics

Nov 05, 2007 15:11     

Kids? I'd say that at 29 and 28 they would hardly qualify as "kids". As for them running the school, I would probably want someone in charge that was smart enough to have gotten away with it.
Jon report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

re: imbalance

Nov 05, 2007 15:16     

I agree. I remember reading the news paper and seeing a murderer get 10 years and some guy that killed a cat or a dog or something got 20!!! Hows that work/???
LARRY report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

20 Years???

Nov 05, 2007 15:17     

Up to 20 years for changing grades??? It is so funny that in our society someone can run someone over drinking and driving and get no jail time... and a couple of student who changed their grades can get up to 20 years... He didn't even Hack... He used his supervisor password... Maybe the school should not hire stupid supervisors.....
Nick report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

omg no way

Nov 05, 2007 15:33     

its kinda cool 2 be honest lol :D
meee report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Over Charging the Offense - Of Course!!!!

Nov 05, 2007 15:57     

Typical Fed behavior. This should be a misdemeanor. They have these two less than bright persons. They did something really stupid. They have them dead to rights. They charge them with every Federal crime they can. These laws were intended to curb much more egregious crimes. They have to plead guilty to one of them rather than risk conviction for all of them.
Ted report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Punish them!

Nov 05, 2007 18:22     

ONLY 20 years? and $250k? disgraceful. what is this world comming to? such a slipup in their supervisors idiocratic password securing abilities results in a couple nerds making a bad decision. give them the death sentence. His supervisor too!
R report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

hacking? P F T

Nov 05, 2007 18:55     

what rubbish passes as news. since when is that hacking? its an insult to us all and the last time i visit this site!
gary report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

No way 20 years

Nov 05, 2007 19:02     

Up to 20 years and 250,000 for their crimes. Chances are they will just get 30 days in jail and 10,000 fine. If a judge wants to make an example, they might get a year but that's it. Seriously, these are just a couple idiots that made a mistake. Infact, they weren't even that bright to not cover their tracks. It was a sloppy job. Albeit sloppy and not the skillfully done, it qualifies as a type of hack. He broke into a system where he shouldn't have belonged. In this case, the security hole is the weaknesses of passwords.

Paul Wowk report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

They were just asking to be caught

Nov 05, 2007 19:49     

Kellen hit the nail on the head. If you only change your grades, it's obvious who did it. Changing grades randomly would have been the way to go. Logging in multiple times was also stupid. He should have realized that every time logged in to change a grade it increased the chances that someone would notice. On a side note, I agree, the punishment for this is ridiculous. A friend of mine got murdered and the guy who killed him got 7 years. How can they justify giving some kid trying to change grades 20 years? Just expel him, make him do community service, and put some permanent black mark on his record so other colleges will never accept him. Maybe some reasonable fine as well. Jail time just sounds ridiculous.

Task report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

what a wonderful life

Nov 05, 2007 22:37     

I just hate my university life to some extent. Simply because they asses the students in a weird way such that absolute jackasses tops the class while true hardworkers with real effort on studies get lower grades and end up being a humiliated in uni community. I was perfect in doing research projects and publishing papers rather attending stupid lectures and facing exams. Simply I am not good at cramming books, rather good at practical activities. Now universities not offering me Masters simply because I don't have 1st class honours. ahh.. hate this reality.

Alien report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

FREE KEVIN

Nov 06, 2007 08:06     

SAVE HOTEL PENN
1337 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

University is often excruciatingly boring.....

Nov 08, 2007 04:49     

I've seen dozens of extremely bright students get the write off and a fat red stamp on their academic record which reads 'fail' because the grinding tedium of some irrelevant supposedly prerequisite unit bored them shitless . Yeah they shouldn't have cheated and fiddled with their marks, But I wont be condemning them of anything other then being dopey. As for jail time , you have to be kidding , right !?!. ALright Alright. That's just my grouchiness of a struggling student :-).

FredL report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

I did this 15 years ago lol

Nov 08, 2007 17:43     

When I was in 8th grade, me and a friend hacked into our Computer Science teachers machine by connecting to it remotely then scouring through the DOS based log files that his DOS based grading app used. It seriously took 15 minutes to find the unencrypted password clearly marked in a file called PASSWORD lol! Of course some wimp freaked out and spilled his guts about our operation. Its funny because the only person whose grades werent changed was me, turns out my friend told everyone the pass ^^

Joey report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Tough

Nov 09, 2007 17:22     

Court will never convict them for 20 years. They should just end their higher education career so that their dreams and hopes are crushed. No chance of ever studying again so they have to become labourers or packers :) Criminal records will stop them as it is from any decent job.
skythra report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0