Former St. Louis Cardinals exec pleads guilty to hacking Astros' computers
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The former director of baseball development for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team has pleaded guilty to charges of unauthorized access to the Houston Astros' computers, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The department said in a statement Friday that Christopher Correa, who was named the Cardinals' director of baseball development in 2013, pleaded guilty to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. Among other instances in 2013, Mr. Correa was able to access scout rankings of every player eligible for the draft through the Astros' computers, and he admitted to illicitly accessing the Astros' private online database and/or the email accounts of others in order to gain access to Astros proprietary information, the Justice Department said
Each conviction of unauthorized access to a protected computer carries a maximum possible sentence of five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine, the department said.
“We have secured an appropriate conviction in this case as a result of a very detailed, thorough and complete investigation,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson for the Southern District of Texas in Houston said in a statement. “Unauthorized computer intrusion is not to be taken lightly. Whether it's preserving the sanctity of America's pastime or protecting trade secrets, those that unlawfully gain proprietary information by accessing computers without authorization must be held accountable for their illegal actions.”
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