> AARON SWARTZ, 24, was charged in an indictment with wire fraud, computer fraud, unlawfully obtaining information from a protected computer, and recklessly damaging a protected computer. If convicted on these charges, SWARTZ faces up to 35 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million.
We can compare this to United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz, who, facing the ruination of her career over her actions, says in this new announcement on Wednesday, "At no time did this office ever seek – or ever tell Mr. Swartz’s attorneys that it intended to seek – maximum penalties under the law." This new statement does not align with the documented history of statements made by the DOJ as evidenced in the above link. Perhaps though she is trying to argue that she, as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, is somehow not part of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts that issued the press release which says "SWARTZ faces up to 35 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million". This would be a difficult argument to make given that the press release itself specifically names U.S. Attorney Ortiz as the person who made the press announcement.
> AARON SWARTZ, 24, was charged in an indictment with wire fraud, computer fraud, unlawfully obtaining information from a protected computer, and recklessly damaging a protected computer. If convicted on these charges, SWARTZ faces up to 35 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million.
We can compare this to United States Attorney Carmen Ortiz, who, facing the ruination of her career over her actions, says in this new announcement on Wednesday, "At no time did this office ever seek – or ever tell Mr. Swartz’s attorneys that it intended to seek – maximum penalties under the law." This new statement does not align with the documented history of statements made by the DOJ as evidenced in the above link. Perhaps though she is trying to argue that she, as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, is somehow not part of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts that issued the press release which says "SWARTZ faces up to 35 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million". This would be a difficult argument to make given that the press release itself specifically names U.S. Attorney Ortiz as the person who made the press announcement.