The indictment was handed down Tuesday and charges that Kernell reset the password on Palin’s e-mail account to obtain access to it, then posted the password in a web forum. Wired:
At least one other person successfully used that password to gain unauthorized access to Palin’s account. The indictment does not identify that individual.
The indictment says that once [20-year-old Tennessee student David] Kernell became fearful of a law enforcement investigation against him, he “removed, altered, concealed and covered up” files on his laptop computer.
If convicted of the charge, Kernell faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three year term of supervised release.
G4’s Attack of the Show asked former-hacker, Kevin Mitnick, about the case:
Kernell pleaded not guilty.