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DAVID
C. KERNELL INDICTED FOR ALLEGED HACK OF GOVERNOR
SARAH PALIN’S E-MAIL ACCOUNT
KNOXVILLE — David C.
Kernell, 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury
in Knoxville, Tennessee, for intentionally
accessing without authorization the e-mail
account of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Acting
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of
the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney James R.
Dedrick for the Eastern District of Tennessee
announced today. Kernell turned himself into
federal authorities for arrest and will be
arraigned today before the Honorable C. Clifford
Shirley, United States Magistrate Judge, Eastern
District of Tennessee.
The single count indictment, returned on October
7, 2008, and unsealed today, alleges that on
approximately September 16, 2008, Kernell, a
resident of Knoxville, obtained unauthorized
access to Governor Sarah Palin’s personal
e-mail account by allegedly resetting the account
password. According to the indictment, after
answering a series of security questions that
allowed him to reset the password and gain access
to the e-mail account, Kernell allegedly read the
contents of the account and made screenshots of
the e-mail directory, e-mail content and other
personal information. According to the
indictment, Kernell posted screenshots of the
e-mails and other personal information to a
public website. Kernell also allegedly posted the
new e-mail account password, thus providing
access to the account by others.
If convicted of the charge, the defendant faces a
maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine
and a three year term of supervised release. A
trial date has not been set.
"Cyber crime is the FBI's top criminal
investigative priority. We would like to thank
all of the Internet service providers and others
who partnered with us to bring this matter to a
quick and successful resolution," said
Richard Lambert, Special Agent in Charge, FBI,
Knoxville Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Section Chief
Michael DuBose and Trial Attorney Mark Krotoski
of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime
and Intellectual Property Section in Washington,
D.C. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Weddle of
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern
District of Tennessee. The case is being
investigated by the FBI’s Anchorage and
Knoxville Field Offices.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants
are presumed innocent until and unless proven
guilty in a court of law .
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