Brit Hacker Trying to Avoid Extradition

(UK) A 42-year-old British computer geek, Gary McKinnon, who illegally accessed and damaged 97 U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Pentagon and NASA computers, is seeking to avoid being sent to the United States by confessing to a non-extraditable crime.

The U.S. military also accuses McKinnon of disabling 300 U.S. Naval weapons systems computers immediately after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. He faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted in the U.S.

McKinnon hopes his signed confession to a charge under the Misuse of Computers Act will preclude being extradited.

His lawyer Karen Todner said he still denies causing damage, which the US authorities put at 800,000 dollars (£532,500), but signed a statement offering to plead guilty under UK law to hacking into the computers.

Ms Todner said she was awaiting a response from the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, but added she was hopeful prosecutors would accept the deal.

"They are different offences to what he was being extradited for, but it reflects his culpability for what he did," she said.

Analogously, it appears McKinnon is willing to admit culpability to vehicular homicide while only pleading guilty to speeding.

Just from a criminality perspective, prosecution to less than the full extent of the law doesn't make a lick of sense to me. I contend that McKinnon should be put on a plane and face his accusers in America. In any event, the case will be heard before the British High Court on January 20.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.