Sat TV Hacker Found Guilty

[Gregg Lengling]

A federal jury in Los Angeles found an alleged satellite TV hacker guilty of selling hardware used to illegally receive DirecTV satellite signals, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said.

Following a four-day trial, Thomas Michael Whitehead, 38, Boca Raton, Fla., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of selling devices designed to unlawfully decrypt satellite television programming and three counts of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

As a result of the six felony convictions, Whitehead faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and fines of up to $2.75 million, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Whitehead, who is currently free on bond, is scheduled be sentenced on Jan. 26 by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder.

Whitehead was indicted earlier this year as part of Operation Decrypt, an undercover FBI investigation that targeted high-level computer programmers and hardware manufacturers who allegedly distributed software and devices used to steal satellite TV service, the office said. Several other defendants charged as part of Operation Decrypt have pleaded guilty to a variety of charges, including violations of the DMCA, since the indictments were announced in February.