Take Me Out to the Courthouse · Players in the Dock
The Password Left Behind
United States v. Christopher Correa (2016)
Charge: Unauthorized access of a protected computer (five counts) — breaking into a rival club's scouting databaseCourt: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of TexasDocket: Players in the Dock
Did logging into a rival club's private database with a former colleague's password amount to criminal unauthorized computer access?
The facts
A scouting executive for one big-league club inherited the laptop and password of a colleague who had left to work for a rival club. Over about a year, the executive used variations of that old password to log into the rival's email and its private player database. He viewed draft rankings, scouting reports, injury notes and trade talks. The rival club later estimated the intrusions caused losses well into six figures. Federal agents traced the logins back to him.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Christopher Correa, U.S. District Court, S.D. Texas (Houston), guilty plea Jan. 8, 2016; sentenced July 18, 2016
Read more at justice.gov. The source reveals the outcome.