Threat Management

Former student accused of stealing identities pleads guilty

A former student of Cal State University in San Marcos, Calif., pleaded guilty to wire fraud, access device fraud and unauthorized use of a computer after being accused of stealing the identities and passwords of 745 students to rig campus elections.

Matthew Weaver, 22, of Huntington Beach, Calif., made his plea in a San Diego federal court. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, and faces 27 to 33 months in federal prison.

In order to steal the students' passwords, Weaver used a keylogger, a device that secretly records a computer user's keystrokes, according to court documents. To win the student council president seat, he cast about 480 votes for himself and friends on the ballot.

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