Cybercrime Review Who is Who:Kaleb Harper Ketchens El Paso Independent School District Computer System (EPISD) Hacker

On April 5th 2012, Kaleb Harper Ketchens, 20, from Meridian, Mississippi was arrested under federal charges from the FBI El Paso Division, in connection with an unauthorized access of the El Paso Independent School District computer system.

Kaleb Ketchens (Photo courtesy: KVIA-TV)

On March 28th, 2012, Ketchens got charged with two counts of computer fraud and one count of fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, authentication features, and information.

Around August 29th, 2011, Ketchens illegally hacked into the EPISD System (El Paso Independent School District Computer System) to get students' identification numbers and posted them later on a hacker underground website. The computer security breach was discovered when a computer security company noticed a hacker bragging on a website about breaking into the EPISD system. The hacker, using the name "Host Bustorz," claimed that he broke into the EPISD network but would not post Social Security numbers online.


EPISD officials had said the hacker broke into the district's internal network and gained access to information such as names, birth dates, addresses and Social Security numbers of district employees and students.

The computer hacking caused the school district to warn parents to take precautionary measures to protect their children's identity with online identity fraud alerts.

After his Court appearence, Ketchens was released on a 10.000 USD unsecured bond and was ordered to appear on April 19th, 2012 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney in El Paso for his arraignment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney

In September 2012 Ketchens plead guilty and the federal judge in El Paso accepted the fraud pleas. On his sentencing date December 12th, 2012, Ketchens was facing up to five years in prison on each count.

Other INFO-LINKS:

• http://www.fbi.gov/elpaso/press-releases/2012/el-paso-fbi-agents-arrest-mississippi-man-for-unauthorized-access-of-el-paso-independent-school-district-computer-system