United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force: BERLIN MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR SABOTAGING FORMER EMPLOYER’S COMPUTER SERVERS

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PRIYAVRAT H. PATEL, 42, of Berlin, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, the first six months of which must be served in home confinement.  On January 10, 2008, PATEL pleaded guilty to one count of computer intrusion.

According to documents filed with the court and statements made in court, from 1999 to October 15, 2007, PATEL provided information technology services consulting services to Pratt-Read Corp., a manufacturer formerly based in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  PATEL has sole responsibility for maintaining Pratt-Read’s four computer servers, which were used by Pratt-Read to conduct its business and to communicate with its customers.  On November 25, 2007, a short time after Pratt-Read moved its servers to Shelton, Connecticut, as part of planned relocation of the Company’s operations, PATEL remotely accessed Pratt-Read’s computer servers and deleted files from three of the servers, rendering them inoperable.

This case was investigated by the Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force, which includes federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Chang.

The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force was formed in February 2003 to investigate crimes occurring over the Internet.  These crimes include computer intrusion, Internet fraud, copyright violations, Internet threats and harassment and on-line crimes against children. The Task Force also provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies.  The Task Force is housed in the main FBI office in New Haven, Connecticut.  For more information about the Task Force, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov