WISEGUY HACKERS PLEAD GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT

After professing their innocence for months, the three Wiseguy defendants pleaded guilty yesterday to hacking the Ticketmaster system for several years, scooping up all tickets at onsale, including the Phish Hampton reunion shows among many other concerts and sports events.

According to an article and the above photo from yesterday's Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger, "Today, three men who set up the sophisticated network of computers that locked out legitimate fans and netted more than $25 million in profits pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges.

Kenneth Lowson, 41, and Kristofer Kirsch [shown in above photo to the left of his lawyer], 37, both of Los Angeles, admitted to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and exceed authorized access to computers engaged in interstate commerce. They face no more than two years in jail, fines of $250,000 and forfeiture of more than $1.2 million when they are sentenced in March.

Joel Stevenson, 37, of Alameda, Calif., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of exceeding authorized access to computers engaged in interstate commerce. He could get up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.

Lowson and Kirsch owned Wiseguys and directed all of the company’s operations. Stevenson was the company’s chief U.S.-based programmer."