Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, the old Monte Python bit goes. And so goes angry public sentiment over email SPAM and those who do the spamming. According to an article in the Washington Post, Spammer Jeremy Jaynes was the first person convicted of a felony for spamming and handed a 9-year sentence.
The trial was conducted in Loudoun County, Virginia because that is where the America Online servers were located that Jaynes and his two cohorts, Jessica DeGroot and Richard Rutkowski allegedly spammed. DeGroot had her conviction overturned by Judge Horne and Rutkowski was acquitted of the charges.
The Virginia jury recommended that Jaynes serve 3 consecutive 3-year sentences. According to the Post, “During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Jaynes as the head of a lucrative spam business that he operated from his home with help from his sister and codefendant, Jessica DeGroot, and a third defendant, Richard Rutkowski. They said the defendants used phony Internet addresses to send more than 10,000 spam e-mails to America Online subscribers on three days in July 2003 — a volume that makes the crime a felony.”
Jaynes is free on a $1 million bond pending the appeal of his conviction, though he can rarely leave home and has to wear an electric monitor device for tracking purposes. Jaynes, a former eagle scout who used to help build houses for the poor has Circuit Judge Thomas D. Horne who is quoted as saying there are “substantial legal issues” in the case that need to be resolved.
Nine-years for a nonviolent crime may seem stiff to some, but it just goes to show how passionate public sentiment is about SPAM and those who flood their email inboxes with SPAM. Spam I am says Uncle Sam, I will not eat green eggs and Spam. Or I am what I Spam. You get the message. Just say ‘No’ to Spam.
