Colorful hacker Justin Petersen, who led US Marshals a merry dance after violating the conditions of his probation, was arrested on Friday December 11 in an apartment building in LA’s Studio City. Petersen, who lost part of a leg in a motorcycle accident, first rose to notoriety after helping the FBI arrest fellow hacker Kevin Mitnick. Fittingly enough, both Petersen and Mitnick are now being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles (CI No 3,553). Petersen was on parole for breaking into the computer systems at a financial institution and stealing $150,000. Since having what he calls a personality conflict with his parole officer – he was running an internet pornography business rather than holding down a job and paying $40,000 restitution – Petersen has been using his web site at http://www.3xt.net/justin to flaunt his fugitive status and to taunt the authorities. This may have been a tactical error. According to ZDNet, marshals said his attitude made them more determined to bring him in. They sent him email warning of the impending arrest, but Petersen didn’t take the hint. He faces 5 to 11 months in jail. รก
