Grand jury indicts Pentchev '01 on multiple charges of computer fraud

Peter Pentchev '01 is facing charges for allegedly hacking into the computer systems of a Palo Alto e-commerce company and stealing nearly 2,000 credit card numbers, according to Debbie Husnik, a spokeswoman from the U.S. Attorney's office in northern California.

Government officials suspect the 22-year-old native of Bulgaria fled the United States after being confronted by University officials about the offenses, Husnik said yesterday.

As the result of an FBI investigation, a federal grand jury indicted Pentchev on Jan. 26. Robert Mueller '66, U.S. Attorney for northern California, signed the indictment.

If convicted, Pentchev could face up to 17 years in prison and a fine of $700,000, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Damages

Pentchev also allegedly stole customer information and passwords from the company and caused $5,000 in damages when he hacked into the company's computers between Nov. 28, 1998 and Dec. 19, 1998, Husnik said. Government officials declined to release the name of the company.

Despite statements from the U.S. Attorney's office to the contrary, Crime Prevention Specialist Barry Weiser said University officials never contacted Pentchev about the FBI investigation, which Weiser said is ongoing.

"In none of these reports does it say anybody talked to him at all," Weiser said after reviewing Public Safety records. "He disappeared based on this [FBI] investigation, not anything we did."

After his freshman year, Pentchev took a year off before returning to the University for the fall semester in 1998, according to his freshman-year roommate, Adam Pribula '00. Then, that December, "he disappeared off the face of the planet," Pribula said.

The FBI began investigating Pentchev on Feb. 4, 1999, according to Weiser. In May 1999, FBI investigators, armed with a search warrant, were given access to Pentchev's room by Public Safety, Weiser said.

Pribula and David Hill '00, who also lived with Pentchev in 65 Holder during their freshman year, both said they suspect Pentchev is living in Bulgaria.

Justice department officials conceded that though the United States has an extradition treaty with Bulgaria, bringing Pentchev to the United States to stand trial if he is apprehended would be difficult.

"I would think computer stuff are not covered by an old treaty," a U.S. Office of International Affairs attorney said, explaining that extraditions can only be made for crimes specified in the treaty, which was drafted in 1934.

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"If there were something I could do to fit it under the treaty, I would," she said.

Husnik also said she would be "surprised" if the crimes Pentchev allegedly committed were covered by the treaty.

Pentchev's freshman year roommates described him as a smart and shy engineer with a passion for computers.

"He really didn't have friends," Pribula said. "His friends were on the Internet."

"He was always on the computer," Pribula added, though he said he was generally unaware of how Pentchev used his computer.

"Most of the time I saw he was on ICQ — but mad-crazy ICQ, like four chat rooms at once," Pribula said.

Hill said Pentchev was "a nice person" who often helped him with math problem sets. "Whatever he was doing, he was quick to stop that and explain something," he said.

Pribula said Pentchev's knowledge of computers was extensive. "I'm not surprised he was able to do something like this. I am surprised that he did it," Pribula said. "I could imagine him doing this to see if he could. I can't imagine he was stealing credit card numbers to steal people's money."