moonbuggy

‘Hackers are taking credit for at least three breaches at anti-piracy firm MediaDefender. The newly revealed attacks threaten to turn what started as an embarrassing e-mail leak into a full-blown security meltdown for the company.

The revelations began Saturday, when more than 6,000 internal company e-mails were exposed in a 700-megabyte BitTorrent download. A note from the hackers that accompanied the download points to a MediaDefender employee’s personal Gmail account as the source of the purloined mail, which covered six months of internal correspondence.

At least two more MediaDefender hacks have emerged since Saturday. In one, hackers obtained a copy of an internal company database identifying some of the decoy files the company has slipped onto peer-to-peer networks. In the other, intruders released a digital recording of a private phone call that appears to be a discussion between MediaDefender personnel and staff at the New York attorney general’s office.’

‘A man who left his girlfriend’s body to decompose in his Jeep Cherokee must pay her parents $500,000 for interfering with their rights to properly bury her, a Jackson County jury has ruled.

In 2005, Matthew C. Davis, 42, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison for abandoning a corpse and 15 more for three unrelated drug charges.

Police found the decomposed body of Amber McGathey, 22, in Davis’ Jeep on June 6, 2004. Prosecutors believed McGathey died of a drug overdose four days earlier, when a witness saw a man wheeling a shopping cart with what appeared to be a body in it.

On Wednesday, the jury ordered Davis to pay $250,000 each to Boyd McGathey, of Parkville, and Debra Augustine, of Waterloo, Ill. They had sued under a rarely used legal doctrine called “interference with the right of sepulcher and burial.”‘

‘A man who prosecutors said made a practice of getting teenage boys drunk has been found guilty of manslaughter for getting one of them killed.

Ryan Schultz, 31, had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit an hour after the crash that killed Sonny Hart in May 2006, the prosecution said.

Schultz bought whiskey for a group of boys and drank with them at a park north of Salem, the prosecution said. [..]

Schultz believed that “the way to live life and have fun was to get a bunch of teenage boys drunk,” Deputy District Attorney Tiffany Underwood said in closing arguments.’

‘Fast food giant McDonald’s has been fined £13,500 after a metal bolt was found in a snack at a West Midlands shopping centre.

A customer chewed on the bolt, which was in a sausage and egg McMuffin, at the outlet in Merry Hill in June 2006.

The company pleaded guilty at Dudley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to a charge of producing food which did not meet required standards.

The court heard bolts were missing from a kitchen grill.’

‘OJ Simpson faces multiple charges including armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the alleged theft of items of sports memorabilia from a Las Vegas casino hotel room, police said.

The former American football star, who was sensationally acquitted in one of the biggest murder trials in US history, was arrested on at least six counts in relation to the reported robbery on Thursday.

They include two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary with a deadly weapon, Las Vegas police announced at a news conference.

All the counts are felonies and carry potentially lengthy sentences.’

‘Many state laws targeting convicted sex offenders violate the rights of people who pose little risk, a leading human rights group said Wednesday. It called for repeal of laws restricting where these ex-offenders can live and for curbs on access to online registries.

Human Rights Watch depicted its report, two years in the making, as the first comprehensive study of sex-offender policies in the United States. It said many of the laws are of questionable value in protecting children from sex crimes, but expose offenders who have served their sentences to harassment and violence.

“These are laws that weren’t based on reason — they were based on a few horrific cases,” said Jamie Fellner, director of the U.S. program at Human Rights Watch. “But it’s very difficult for politicians to demonstrate the courage to urge changes in these laws.”‘

‘Potentially-lethal booby traps were found in a Newport cannabis factory.

Now police across Gwent are being warned of the discovery of several dangerous booby-traps at a house in Newport where police discovered a large number of cannabis plants and extensive growing equipment.

These included a series of 10-inch metal skewers set up inside window frames, and concealed beneath a thin sheet of cardboard, so intruders would not see them until it was too late.
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The cannabis growers had also rerouted the electricity supply and used it to create high voltage wires running across door and window frames, which were accessible from the outside of the house, so that a single touch by an intruder could deliver a potentially fatal electric shock.’

‘An Orlando police officer has been ticketed for slamming his patrol car into a house and then driving away.

The impact knocked the air conditioning unit off the house and broke the fence at the home on Summerlin Avenue. The Florida Highway Patrol said since no one was hurt in the Friday crash, troopers could only ticket officer Sam Cunningham.

He was cited for careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.’

‘A Vermont man sent a 16-year-old Enfield girl disturbing text messages and pictures of him wearing a diaper, police said.

Enfield police said Lawrence Robarge, 48, of Vermont, sent the messages to the girl earlier in September. The girl didn’t recognize the number, but she contacted police when she saw the messages and pictures.

“They were very disturbing, given her age and what the text messages say,” Chief Richard Crate Jr. said.

Police said that one picture sent to the girl shows a bottle of baby powder and two diapers. A caption with the photo reads, “Show this to your lady friends then have them call me if their [sic] interested. OKAY???”

Crate said that Robarge dialed the number at random and reached the girl.’

‘A man accused of killing a pet pig may blame the pig as part of his defense.

Joseph Calarudda is charged with stabbing 300-pound “Porky” to death as its owners pleaded for him to stop.

Calarudda is going on trial this week for felony theft of livestock. One of his defenses may be that the pig was aggressive and dangerous.’

‘A woman is admitted to the Sacramento mental hospital, after trying to drive off with a fire engine, half-naked.

Fire officials say the attempted theft happened when they were on a first aid call. The driver of the fire engine says he was at the back of the truck, when he heard the accelerator. He found Schilicia Griffin in the driver’s seat, and pulled her out.

Officials say Griffin was just released from the mental hospital shortly before she tried to steal the truck. She has been re-admitted for evaluation.’

Which half, I wonder..

‘An Oregon man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday after hiring another man to kill his wife.

Susan Kuhnhausen fought off the hit man and actually strangled the attacker with her bare hands killing him.

During Friday’s sentencing hearing held up a picture taken of her bruised face after the attack and said, “This is what I would have looked like if I die.” [..]

Susan called it a cowardly plan.

“If I ever believed you deserved to be dead, I would at least have had the balls to kill you myself,” declared Kuhnhausen.’

‘A man trying to call a news station to complain about not getting a FEMA trailer after Hurricane Katrina accidentally dialed 911 and was charged with making methamphetamine after police arrived, authorities said.

Curtiss Randall Coleman was trying to get the number for Biloxi’s WLOX-TV on Wednesday just before the 6 p.m. newscast, investigators said. He misdialed when trying to reach directory information and called 911 instead of 411.

When he hung up on the emergency dispatcher, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department was sent to the home to see if anyone was in need of assistance.

Deputies said that when they arrived at Coleman’s house, no one answered the door. Officers broke in and allegedly found a methamphetamine lab.’

‘Maharaj, 25, was all set to walk out of 1st District Court in Hempstead a free man, having already served the 10 days he was facing as his jail sentence.

But, according to Steven Schwartz, chief of the Nassau district attorney’s office District Court Bureau, Judge Norman St. George required Maharaj to surrender his conditional driver’s license as part of the plea deal.

Maharaj handed over the paper document to the judge’s clerk, who proceeded to open the folded-up record.

“She looked at it and was kind of stunned,” Schwartz said. In the creases of the paper was marijuana.”

The clerk then showed the loose buds to the judge, who had Maharaj rearrested for marijuana possession, Schwartz said.’

‘A man hiding from intruders who broke into his flat in north-west London and killed his friend was put on hold when he called police, a court has heard.

Ahmad Gharbi, 49, hid in a cupboard in the flat in Kilburn when the gang attacked his friend Timothy Stilwell in June last year, the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Stilwell was stabbed more than 20 times and beaten over the head. [..]

He went to the living room where he saw four men trying to push through the patio doors with a paving slab, before running to another room and hiding in a cupboard, said David Howker QC, prosecuting.

“He got his mobile out and called the police but was put on hold for some reason so had to try again,” said Mr Howker.’

‘A confessed rapist has agreed to be castrated in a plea deal that could save him from a life prison sentence.

Bobby James Allen pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of armed sexual battery and various other charges involving attacks that happened in 1998 and 1999. Allen filed a motion requesting castration in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet agreed to sentence Allen to 25 years’ prison on Sept. 20 if has the procedure in the next eight days. If Allen does not go through with the operation, he faces up to life in prison.

“You understand that this procedure is the removal of your testicles?” Overstreet asked Allen.

Allen said he wanted to be castrated.’

‘A teenager has been sentenced to six years in a young offenders’ institute for attacking two teachers, one of whom was shot with a 950,000-volt stun gun.

Marvin Airey, 19, from Redcatch Road, Bristol, temporarily paralysed maths teacher Peter Kelly outside Ashton Park School in Bristol last October.

He also punched a female teacher, who fractured her skull in the attack.

Bristol Crown Court heard Airey, a drug user with many previous convictions, bought the stun gun over the internet.’

‘ A 17-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the leg while standing in line at a McDonald’s restaurant and now he faces an illegal weapons charge.

The boy was fiddling with the .25-caliber pistol tucked in his waistband when it fired, wounding him in the upper thigh shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday, city police Sgt. William Gorman said.

“Some days you deal with a victim, some days you deal with an actor,” Gorman said. “But it’s a strange day when the actor is the victim.”‘

‘A public-spirited busman thought he was doing his duty when he discovered two junkies on board were smoking crack – and drove straight to a police station.

But passengers who raced in to alert police were stunned when officers claimed they were too busy – and suggested they dial 999 and get someone else.

Driver Paul Gibbs, 48, waited 10 minutes and then reluctantly drove off when he realised no one was coming.

Bizarrely, police later sent two officers on HORSEBACK, who had little chance of catching the bus in the crowded inner-city streets. Disbelieving Paul said: “We were at one of Europe’s biggest police stations but no one could be bothered to come out and solve a crime right on their doorstep.’

‘Aboriginal women have singled out SBS television as one of the main distributors of pornography in the Northern Territory, says Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough.

As of today, anyone caught in an Aboriginal community in the territory with pornographic DVDs or magazines faces fines of up to $11,000.

People in possession of five or more prohibited items will be automatically deemed traffickers and face up to two years imprisonment.

The bans form part of the second phase of the federal government’s intervention in the NT but critics claim they don’t target problem areas and will be easily undermined.

“Foxtel R rated channel is still by far the major source of porn going into communities and unfortunately the federal government hasn’t turned that stream off yet,” said Robbie Swan from the Eros Foundation, an adult entertainment industry lobby group.’

‘Wayne and Kathie Boniface returned home from dinner Thursday night at a neighbor’s to find the man in their house. Wayne Boniface said the man made the mistake of grabbing his wife.

“As soon as he grabbed my wife, I had him in the kitchen wrestling him to the ground in a headlock and arm-lock,” Boniface said.

First, Boniface said, he ripped the man’s shirt off. Then, “his head was down over the railing, and in today’s world, pants are worn fairly loose. I pulled his pants, and his pants and underpants and shoes came completely off. He was completely nude.”

When police asked Boniface if he could identify the suspect, he said: “Oh, yeah. I believe he’s the only guy running nude in Duluth.”‘

‘People are more likely to be sexually assaulted on a cruise ship than on land, an expert in ship safety will tell a conference in New Zealand this week.

Professor Ross Klein, a sociologist from Canada’s University of Newfoundland, said people wrongly assumed cruises were completely safe, and it was mostly crew members who were to blame for attacks.

Looking at figures provided to a US court by a cruise line, he found 111 people per 100,000 were sexually assaulted on ships.

He said his figures showed people were 50 per cent more likely to be sexually assaulted on a ship than on land.

“If you were to go to the Cruise Lines International Association they will say that a cruise is the most safe form of transportation. That is now getting a bit of scrutiny,” he said.’

‘A blind judo expert astounded a mugger by pinning him to the ground after he tried to steal his cigarettes, police said on Monday.

The assailant, a 17-year-old man of Asian origin, spotted the 33-year-old, who police identified only as Emil E., at a train station in the southwestern town of Giessen and thought he would be easy prey, police spokesman Rolf Wellershausen said.

But what the attacker did not know, the spokesman said, was that his victim was a world-class blind judo wrestler.

The 17-year-old threatened the blind man, then punched him in the face, at which point the martial artist flipped him and held him down until police arrived.’

‘A U.S. citizen has confessed to using an axe to kill a Dutch student after failing to find a soldier to attack, his lawyer said Tuesday.

The suspect, Carlos Hartmann, 41, of Tecumseh, Mich., has confessed to the Sept. 8 killing on a train platform in the southern city of Roosendaal, defence lawyer Peter Gremmen said.

Gremmen said Hartmann wanted to punish the Netherlands for its support of the war in Iraq. [..]

“He hates soldiers, and says that the army kills people, so it would be legitimate if he were also to kill someone . . . from the American military – or from its NATO allies,” Gremmen said in a telephone interview.

When he failed to find a soldier at the Roosendaal train station, “he got such a crazy, disturbed idea that he killed a civilian,” Gremmen said.

Hartmann did not attempt to escape and was arrested shortly after the killing.’

‘Israeli police say they have broken up a gang of neo-Nazis who are accused of carrying out attacks on foreigners, gay people and religious Jews.

The eight suspects, aged 16-21, are all Israeli citizens from the former Soviet Union. They were arrested a month ago, but the news only emerged on Saturday.

Police say searches of their homes yielded Nazi uniforms, portraits of Adolf Hitler, knives, guns and TNT.’

‘A McDonald’s worker in Union City, Ga., was arrested and jailed Thursday night for putting too much salt and pepper on a police officer’s hamburger, MyFoxAtlanta reported Friday.

Kendra Bull was mixing hamburger meat when, she said, too much salt and pepper accidentally spilled into the bowl. Bull said her manager was working with her, and continued to make patties out of the meat. Bull grilled and ate one of the over-seasoned burgers for her dinner break and grilled the remaining burgers from the batch. [..]

Bull, who spent Thursday night in jail until she was released on a $1,000 signature bond Friday morning, admitted the burgers were too salty, but said she ate one from the batch and did not get sick. She also said that security cameras trained on the work area and grill will prove that the salt was spilled accidentally.

Bull’s attorney, a public defender, asked the judge to dismiss the charges, but the judge refused.’

‘Alcoholics Anonymous, the renowned 12-step program that directs problem drinkers to seek help from a higher power, says it’s not a religion and is open to nonbelievers. But it has enough religious overtones that a parolee can’t be ordered to attend its meetings as a condition of staying out of prison, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

In fact, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the constitutional dividing line between church and state in such cases is so clear that a parole officer can be sued for damages for ordering a parolee to go through rehabilitation at Alcoholics Anonymous or an affiliated program for drug addicts.’

‘A Cambodian man was arrested after injecting a woman with his own blood in a bizarre scheme to win her affections, police said Wednesday. [..]

The man allegedly injected a syringe of his blood into the woman’s rib cage and waist as she walked home from school, Tan Sophal said.

The assailant fell in love with the woman when the two were classmates in 2004, Tan Sophal said. After the woman refused his advances, he came up with the scheme to inject her with his blood, he said.

“He thought that if he could not marry her, at least his blood can stay inside her body,” Tan Sophal said. “That’s why he injected her with his blood.”‘

‘She waited on her porch for a car made of bones to come and take her to hell.

Instead, when sheriff’s deputies arrived, she calmly went to jail, expecting the floor there to open up and deliver her to her fiery fate.

Were Jennifer Kukla’s visions, as described to police and psychiatrists, fantasies fueled by psychotic delusions? Or were they proof she knew right from wrong when she slit the throats of her two young daughters?’

‘A police operation to covertly follow a Central Otago man came to an abrupt halt this week when the man found tracking devices planted in his car, ripped them out and listed them for sale on Trade Me. [..]

Williams said a cellphone sim card in one of the devices appeared to transmit messages to the mobile phone of Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw, of the Central Otago CIB.

Williams provided The Press with emails from Shaw saying: “If you have got something of ours it would be good to get it back. You can call me and I can come meet you.” [..]

Williams said he did not know why police were interested in him. He spent two years in jail “20 years ago” for selling marijuana to an undercover policeman, but had no convictions since then.

Williams said the devices were not hard to find and he described the operation as “a bumbling attempt” by “weirdos”.’