follow-up: TJX Suspect Was Near Plea Agreement Until New Charges Halted Talks

[security curmudgeon <jericho () attrition org>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/tjx-hacker-plea/

By Kim Zetter
Threat Level
Wired.com
August 19, 2009

Accused TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez, who is set to go to trial next month 
in New York, was close to reaching a comprehensive settlement with federal 
prosecutors when new charges were levied against him this week in New 
Jersey, according to his lawyer.

Rene Palomino, Jr., told the New York Times that he had been close to a 
settlement that would have put an end to all active investigations against 
his client, including the new New Jersey case. In exchange for a guilty 
plea, Gonzalez was ready to agree to a prison sentence in the 20-year 
range, but the new indictment halted the negotiations.

"We are giving it our best shot trying to resolve these cases and to 
prevent the government from wasting all these millions of dollars to bring 
to trial all these cases," Palomino told the Times. "We were very close."

Palomino accused New Jersey prosecutors of showmanship and said they moved 
up the timing of the indictment announcement in order to short-circuit the 
plea talks.

"I guess so they could bask in the glory of all the publicity they are 
getting from this," he said.

[..]
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