Stephen E. Bridwell

HAMILTON CO., Ill.—One of the cases we’ve been following through the court system in Hamilton County has been resolved as of this morning.

Stephen E. Bridwell, 21, of McLeansboro, was to have appeared in Hamilton County circuit court this morning for a regularly-scheduled pretrial conference in his case in front of Judge Mark Stanley. Bridwell, our regular readers will recall, was charged back in mid-May of this year with multiple and varied sex crimes, including Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Victim under the age of 13 (Class X felony), Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Victim under the age of 13 (Class 2 felony), two counts of Indecent Solicitation of a person under the age of 13 (both Class 1 felonies), and a charge of Grooming (a Class 4 felony, and which is defined as preying on a victim and prepping that victim to become involved in child sex crimes, either as a victim or participant toward another victim. In this case, it involved sending text messages to the child in question, guiding the child in reference to sexual conduct.)

This morning, instead of continuing the case as it’s been done in previous pretrial hearings, Bridwell apparently decided he didn’t like the jail food and opted instead to get the next part of the matter underway: the prison sentence. He entered a guilty plea to one of the Indecent Solicitation charge as well as the Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse charge. On the first charge he received a sentence of 15 years; the second, an additional three. He’ll also have to serve a three-year mandatory supervised release period (parole), and of course, he’s on the sex offender registry from here on out.

Information hasn’t been made available as to how the whole thing was discovered, but we’re hoping it was alert parents who were monitoring their child’s cell phone contacts; whatever the case, kudos to HamCo prosecutor Justin Hood, who has been proving himself to be the kind of state’s attorney who doesn’t cut sex offenders any slack!

Ang is at the mic again tonight as Lyndi slowly recovers from the ongoing tooth issue, and my lovely bride has a big lineup for you tonight of the headlines from around the area in AUDIO format!

Topics covered include: Sentencings over the past month in Saline County, including some big names that we’ve been following over the past couple of years; Williamson County Sheriff Bennie Vick asks the public to keep an eye out for a missing sex offender in that county; and Stephen E. Bridwell of McLeansboro takes a plea in Hamilton County circuit court to multiple sex crimes after a May arrest and charges.

Danny K. Coston

WHITE CO. (by way of Mt. Vernon, Ill.)—A White County murderer’s latest attempt at having his case overturned and remanded back to state court has failed.

Danny K. Coston, 38, had submitted an appeal to his conviction a year ago, right after the conviction took place and he agreed to a 53-year sentence for the murders of Jacob Wheeler, 22, and Jessica M. Evans, 17, during what was revealed to have been a horrific assault on the two youngsters after they attempted to help Coston at the Little Wabash River outside of Centerville, this on August 25, 2012.

Coston’s attorneys from St. Louis had filed the appeal based on a claim that he consented to an interview with authorities Aug. 31, but wasn’t aware that he was “in custody,” ergo he took issue with the way his Miranda Rights were given to him, as well as his subsequent consent to be questioned.

It was a technicality that sometimes appeals court justices can find and thus overturn a case, but in this situation, they found no exceptions, and did not remand the case back to White County, choosing instead to uphold the sentence, which Coston entered into in September of 2013 by agreement with prosecutor Denton Aud and following a stipulated bench trial in front of Judge Tom Foster.

You can read the document in full by clicking this link; it outlines the Appeals Court justices decision.

White County State’s Attorney Denton Aud released this statement this morning: “I am pleased and in complete agreement with the decision of the Appellate Court to affirm Coston’s conviction. The Court’s ruling affirms the investigation by Sheriff Doug Maier, his department, and the Illinois State Police, as well as the decisions made in resolving the case with a result of Coston being sentenced to what amounts to a life sentence for his brutal and heinous acts. Most importantly, the Court has affirmed justice for Jessi and Jake and their families. All of us should say an extra prayer to God for their comfort at this time as we hold onto our own loved ones.”

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It’s Friday, and Lyndi’s still out (but not for long), so Ang is back at the mic for the evening of October 10, 2014!

Topics covered include: Danny Coston’s appeal is tossed from the appellate court in Mt. Vernon, Ill.; big cat prowling around the village of Rosiclare in Hardin County; Dale Ray Bozarth, missing Williamson County sex offender, located yesterday; three former circuit clerk deputies in Williamson made first appearance today in that same circuit court on charges of Theft and Official Misconduct.

WHITE CO., Ill.—Two inmates have escaped the White County Jail in Carmi this morning, and folks are being asked to keep on the lookout for them.

Donald Currier, 26, and Robert Mead, 32, were missing after a headcount at breakfast, according to officials there at the jail.

Donald Currier

Robert Mead

Video surveillance outside the facility shows the two leaving the jail around 1:30 a.m. Upon inspection it was discovered that there was a hole in the ceiling and roof of the jail; this is the presumptive route the two took, but it’s being investigated further.

Currier and Mead were bot dressed in shorts and dark colored T-shirts.

Mead was being held on various drug related charges.

Currier was being held on an Aggravated Battery charge, this stemming from an incident in early September at the Grayville Days festival Currier has been a problem child in recent months, having been involved in an incident in Wayne County over the summer but not receiving charges from it.

Sheriff’s authorities in neighboring or nearby counties of Williamson, Edwards, and Wayne, as well as the Illinois State Police, whose District 19 offices are headquartered just outside of Carmi,  have been notified.

The Carmi Police Department had a K9 officer searching around the jail area earlier this morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call the White County Sheriff’s Office at 618-382-5321.

Donald Currier

Robert Mead

SALINE/WHITE COs, Ill.—The two men who escaped from the Carmi/White County Jail very early Saturday morning were caught yesterday afternoon in Saline County.

Donald Currier, 26, and Robert Mead, 32, were reportedly able to have accessed a hole in the ceiling and then the roof of the jail at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, October 11, this according to video surveillance viewed by officials.

While authorities were up and tracking the two early yesterday, they ultimately found them in a location in the Raleigh Road area of Saline County…one of the counties NOT listed yesterday as one that was “alerted” to the alleged escape (Wayne, where Currier is from [Golden Gate], Edwards [adjacent to White to the north] and Williamson, where Mead is from [Johnston City] were all noted, but not Saline).

Reports indicate that the two were tracked to a house in Carmi, then to one in Eldorado and ultimately to the house in Saline.

While the two were on the lam, they managed to hem two other people up, these reportedly at the location in Carmi.

Jason A. Locke

Brandy Minder

Jason Locke, 34, and Brandy Minder, 32, of Carmi, were charged with Obstruction, likely for lying to authorities as to the whereabouts of the jailbreakers.

The investigation continues; be watching for updates as we learn the further formal charges on the two alleged escapees…and anyone else who may have assisted.

DISCLOSURE READERSHIP AREA OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS—Here’s the weather coming up for our entire readership area, from southeastern Missouri, across Illinois, and into southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky; it looks rough, so take appropriate precautions.

Screencap of impending weather front moving in to the Missouri bootheel; will be in Illinois shortly, this capped at shortly after 1 p.m.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
427 AM CDT MON OCT 13 2014

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-141000-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
427 AM CDT MON OCT 13 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE
REGION THROUGH MIDDAY. A VIGOROUS LINE OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE EAST INTO CARTER AND RIPLEY COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
AROUND NOON...REACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AROUND 3 PM...AND THEN
PROGRESS EASTWARD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA THROUGH 9 PM.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE A STRONG POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES
WITHIN THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH OVER THE ENTIRE REGION. A FEW STRONG
TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI...GENERALLY NEAR THE BOOT HEEL REGION. LARGE HAIL WILL BE
POSSIBLE MAINLY WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT CAN DEVELOP AHEAD OF
THE LINE.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS
TODAY...AND WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN IS LIKELY WITH THE LINE OF
STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TOTAL RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT
WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM ONE AND A HALF TO 3 INCHES. THE GREATEST
AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY ACROSS SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE LAKES AND
PENNYRILE REGIONS OF WEST KENTUCKY. SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING ISSUES
WILL BE POSSIBLE...BUT WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS ARE NOT
ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LINGER INTO THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY OVER SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND THE PENNYRILE
REGION OF WEST KENTUCKY. A FEW MINOR FLOOD PROBLEMS CANNOT BE
RULED OUT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.

Here’s my lovely bride (yes, she’s lovely, and yes, she’s my bride of 14.5 years) Ang, delivering her final ‘cap for awhile (maybe) for the evening of Monday, October 13 and covering the weekend news from Oct. 10-12 for your Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Jailbreak occurs early Saturday morning in Carmi, two men located in Saline County later Saturday, two other Carmi residents hemmed up on Obstruction charges in relation to it; a shooting took place in West Frankfort on Friday, which we covered Saturday; and Tyler Smithpeters’ suspension from playing basketball for the SIU-C Salukis is at issue currently.

FLORA, Ill.—The high school in Flora, Illinois, was placed on soft lockdown today as a precaution when a federal arrest warrant was being served in that town.

According to Flora Police Chief John Nicholson, the students were in no danger, but the soft lockdown was conducted anyway, as the subject—who is known locally to the authorities and “has a tendency to run”—might have bolted in that direction.

Here’s the press release from Nicholson as presented on the department’s Facebook page:

Attention Flora High School Parents: Today at approximately 10:45 a.m., the Flora Police, Clay Co. Sheriff’s Dept. and the U.S. Marshals Office conducted an operation in the 200 block of Park Ave. A wanted subject with a federal arrest warrant and several State warrants was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. The suspect was taken into custody and transported by the U.S. Marshals to a federal holding center on a charge of Meth Conspiracy/Manufacturing. Knowing that our operation was approximately two blocks from the High School and that the suspect had a habit of running from law enforcement, I contacted the High School principal and asked him to place the school on a “soft” lockdown as we began the operation. When we had the suspect in custody, the high school resumed normal operation. At no time was the high school or its students in any danger, we just felt by doing it this way we were taking extra precaution. I apologize if this upset anybody or caused undue stress. Thanks, Chief Nicholson

Nicholson said that the subject has been transported to the Marion County Jail in Salem, which is an official federal holding facility, and will be transferred from there.

The name of the subject will be released later.

Parents in the school district are lauding Nicholson for taking the precautions that he did, and no one is upset over this soft lockdown, as it’s apparent that Nicholson and his department are always looking out for the best interests of those in the community and especially the children of the community.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT, BENTON, Ill.—Alvin L. Ewing, II, 50, of Fairfield, has been charged in United States District Court in Benton with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on October 7, 2014, stemmed from Ewing’s arrest by an Illinois State Police trooper following a traffic stop.

During this stop, a Bushmaster .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle was found concealed on the motorcycle Ewing was driving.

The indictment also alleges that Ewing committed this offense after conviction of at least three violent felonies or serious drug offenses within the meaning of federal law. If convicted, Ewing faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, a $250,000, and a term of 5 years of supervised release to follow incarceration.

Following a hearing held today, Ewing was denied bond on the federal charges and remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal to await further proceedings. Ewing’s next scheduled court appearance is December 4th at 10:30 a.m. for a final pre-trial conference at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. A trial date of December 15th at 9:00 a.m. has also been set.

The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Illinois State Police (District 19) with the assistance of the Grayville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

Here’s our Lyndi returning to the microphone once again after a week’s hiatus and a little bit of tooth surgery, getting healed up and delivering your Nightly NewsCap for the evenings of Wednesday and Thursday, October 15 and 16, 2014!

Topics covered include: Tyler Smithpeters’ ongoing troubles at SIU-C; a soft lockdown occurred Tuesday in Flora at the high school; weed shortage in and around Jackson County after parolee is busted with a LOT of it; and news out of the fed court on Altamont’s Mislich and Fairfield’s Ewing.

Yeah…it’s a hot one…

CLAY CO.—A single county board office, a race for regional superintendent of schools, and a circuit court judge decision are all that are contested in local races on the Clay County ballot this election season.

No candidate emerged in any of the other constitutionally-mandated offices in Clay this year.

In those offices, Brenda Britton, Republican, will maintain her position as county clerk.

For county treasurer, Jana Tolliver, Democrat, will once again be in office for four years.

And for sheriff, Democrat Andy Myers, who was appointed to the position a little over a year ago when Jim Sulsberger retired, will now be seated for four years.

The regional office of education’s superintendent of schools in the portion affecting Clay, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence and Richland counties, Democrat Monte A. Newlin, will remain in his office, as will Julie Wollerman for the portion that covers Bond, Christian, Effingham, Fayette and Montgomery counties. However, in the portion of Clay’s voting area that encompasses Clinton, Jefferson, Marion and Washington counties, there’s a contested race for regional superintendent of schools: Ron Daniels, the Republican, vies with Keri Garret, Dem, for that office.

And in District E of Clay County’s county board, a contest emerged between Republican Jeremy Wildbur and Democrat Thomas Butcher. In District F, John Weidner, Dem, is unopposed; in District H, Republican Bryan Knapp is alone on the ballot; in District I, it’s Republican Ted Whitehead; District J, John C. Bayler, Republican; District K, David E. Johnson, Dem, is unopposed, and in District N, Mary C. McCollough, Republican, is alone on the ballot.

And to replace retiring judge Sherri LE Tungate in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, two are contending: Republican Martin W. Siemer, and Democrat Ericka Sanders. There are no judges up for retention in the Fourth.

Two public questions are on the ballots in their respective areas: In Clay City and Xenia, the question of whether “the village shall have the authority to arrange the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program” is posed about the electric aggregate prospects. Voters are urged to research this program before voting yes or no on it.

EDWARDS CO.—As in many other counties in the Second Judicial Circuit, little Edwards County has only one contested local race.

In Edwards, it’ll all fall along party lines November 4 for county treasurer, where Democrat Dorothy Kuykendall is facing Republican Debbie L. Smith for that office.

Within the other county offices that were up for grabs this year but which are going to the incumbents, it’s all about the Republicans (of which Edwards happens to be a stronghold): Mary Beth Smith will keep her office of county clerk and recorder; Darby Boewe will continue on as sheriff (his third elected term) and Sheila Markman Schnepper will stay on as supervisor of assessments.

Another uncontested office will be going to another Republican, that of county commissioner, where Duane Lear will get it by default.

Edwards doesn’t have any local ballot questions. They do, however, have the judicial retention question, and it’s likely that all four Second Circuit judges—Barry Vaughan, David Overstreet, Tom Foster and Tom Tedeschi—will receive the 60 percent supermajority ‘yes’ votes needed to keep them on the bench for another six years.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ill.—An overnight incident at Casey’s in Lawrenceville has left one of the front windows busted out and one person arrested.

The vandalism has left a big mess for the little convenience store, located on outer State Street (Business 50) on the east side of town.

The incident was reported to have occurred at about 12:30 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

According to Lawrenceville Police Chief Jim White, the suspect was captured, and fortunately, did not access the store.

Our sources are advising us that Crime Scene Investigators from Illinois State Police were present at the store earlier this morning (about 6:30) gathering information.

We’ll have more as it comes in…keep watching.

Photo courtesy a reader

From Roger Gregory’s Facebook page

LAWRENCE CO., Ill.—A Lawrenceville man has been arrested in connection with the early-morning vandalism at Casey’s in that same town.

Roger W. Gregory, 48, of the 600 block of Lexington, was arrested and charged earlier today after a large glass pane was broken out of the Casey’s General Store front window over on State Street, Lawrenceville, this incident occurring at about 12:30 a.m. today (Tuesday, October 21, 2014).

While we were told earlier this morning that no one actually made entry into the store, Gregory has been charged with a count of Burglary in the incident.

Gregory has an undistinguished history in Lawrence, including just last week having entered a guilty plea to a pot possession charge filed earlier this month.

Gregory also has had a problem in the past with alcohol.

There’s been no indication of whether he was under the influence of anything when the alleged activities went down; we’ve been advised that Lawrenceville police officer Brandon Sapp and Lawrence County deputy Kyle Gilmore were the ones who affected Gregory’s arrest.

More on the situation will be available in the next issue of Disclosure, on stands November 12.

Photo courtesy a reader

Here’s Lyndi rounding up the headlines for the evening of Tuesday, October 21, 2014, in your Nightly NewsCap!

Topics covered include: Lawrenceville Casey’s suffers a break-in, one arrested; Carbondale’s “Unofficial” party problems; and a convicted child pornographer in Jackson County is popped on a compliance check.

Clay County Sheriff’s Department mug of Jesteen Weiler (now Billingsley) in 2012; we’re working on getting the new one.

CLAY CO., Ill.—I have no idea how we missed this one, but we surely did.

Jesteen Weiler Billingsly, known round these here parts as Jesteeeeeeeeen, was arrested and charged in Clay County back in Late August with Retail Theft.

And because she recently (Oct. 1) pled guilty to it, it suddenly hit all of Clay County’s news outlets and everybody is thinking it’s a more recent thing.

This is the problem we have with Clay’s media, such as it is; we’ve been told, first-hand, that they don’t cover court things until it’s all over and done with. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the initial arrest and charge. especially if no one knows that this person is busted and perhaps subsequently posts bond and is out and about, and can carry out their alleged criminal conduct again. This is particularly onerous if it’s someone like an alleged sex offender (which was actually the circumstance in 2005 when we were told this by a representative of Clay County media) and might not necessarily hold true against someone somewhat sticky-fingered…but if you had a retail establishment, wouldn’t YOU like to know if that person has been charged, especially if he or she is rummaging about your place?

Jesteen Weiler (Billingsley) and her ta’s; the pic that got everybody stirred up in April 2013….don’t know why…she took it HERSELF.

So here’s what we can gather: Somehow we missed Jesteeeen, likely because her last name is now Billingsley and we probably just glanced over it and moved on when we were doing the courthouse crawls in Clay in late August. The arrest occurred August 22. We don’t know for sure where it occurred, although some of our sources are telling us WalMart in Flora (we’ve been updated, and it’s a hair salon, in actuality…from which she’s been banned.) Flora PD got her, that much we’ve confirmed with Clay County Sheriff’s Department sources, who provided us with the mugshot you see here from her 2012 arrest that involved stealing controlled substance pills from someone she was caring for at a nursing home in Flora at that time. Anyway, she entered a guilty plea to this current charge on Oct. 1, and got Conditional Discharge. CONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. For a drug felon. What the hell.

And then when the CD was announced some weeks later, like this was all a new thing, everybody started contacting us about it, circa this morning.

We already had Jesteeeeeeeen in the paper a couple of issues back when she lost on an OP filing against an uncle. She must’ve taken out her frustrations over that loss by giving herself a five-finger discount. And of course everyone remembers the nightmare Jesteeeeeeeen and her mother who gave her the strange name (it’s spelled J-U-S-T-I-N-E, Ma), Sherry Kittle, put Jesteeeeeen’s deceased sister Andrea Weiler’s babydaddy and child through in 2013. It was during this issue with Baby Lily that we were under attack by the Billingsleys, who couldn’t seem to face the fact that Jon B. had married a convict.

But…he did. And here we are. We might do a little more on this incident in the upcoming issue (November 12); in the meantime, the Election Edition is on stands and we’re prepping This Month’s Print Headlines for it; there’s something for everyone in this one, so don’t miss out! Get out and get yours today; it’s a limited edition, or you can click this link and get yourself an online membership and read it right here!

U.S. DISTRICT COURT, SOUTHERN DISTRICT, ILLINOIS—Thomas Gregory Lilley, 36, of Fontana, California, pled guilty today in United States District Court in Benton to charges that he possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute it and that he possessed a loaded semi-automatic pistol during and in relation to that crime, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.

The offenses occurred on April 24, 2014, in Fairfield, Illinois.

Sentencing was set for February 18, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Benton. At that time, Lilley faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine, and 3 years to life on supervised release following his incarceration on the methamphetamine charge and a consecutive 5 years to life, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years supervised release on the firearm charge.

Lilley has been held in the custody of the United States Marshal since his arrest on federal charges in May. He was returned to the custody of the Marshal to await sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.

Here’s Lyndi once again, rounding up the day’s headlines for you, audio-version, for your Nightly NewsCap for the evening of Wednesday, October 22, 2014!

Topics covered include: The family of a missing Vincennes woman is asking for the public’s help in locating her; a Ridgway man has entered a guilty plea to a federal marijuana count; a California man busted in Wayne County is charged in federal court with weapons and meth violations.

Photo from: mashable.com

TULSA, OKLAHOMA —Daniel Trenton Krueger, one of two leaders of the computer hacking group known as Team Digi7al, was sentenced today to serve twenty-four months in federal prison for hacking the U.S. Navy, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and over 50 public and private computer systems, U.S. Attorney Danny C. Williams Sr. announced.

Krueger, 20, of Dix, Illinois, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James H. Payne on May 20, and was initially charged in a single-count information on May 5, 2014. At the time of the hacking Krueger was a student. The co-defendant, Nicholas Paul Knight, 27, of Chantilly, Virginia, will be sentenced on November 21, 2014. Knight was an active-duty enlisted member of the Navy aboard the USS Harry S. Truman at the time of the hacking.

“Cybercrime is one of the most serious national security challenges we face as a nation, and it is one of the Department of Justice’s highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We will vigorously investigate and prosecute cybercrimes. I commend the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their quick actions to identify and investigate the computer intrusions.”

According to court documents, in June 2012, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) detected a breach of the U.S. Navy’s Smart Web Move (SWM) database, which stored personal records, including Social Security numbers, names, and dates of birth, for approximately 222,000 service members. The servers that stored these records were located in Tulsa. At the time of the hacking attacks, Knight, Krueger, and other Team Digi7al conspirators posted links to the stolen information on a Team Digi7al Twitter account.

Investigators with the NCIS and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) identified Knight and Krueger as the hackers after a sting operation aboard the USS Harry S. Truman.

Victims of the conspiracy included the following organizations:

• U.S. Navy
• U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency  
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security  
• MobiTv  
• Autotrader.com  
• Harvard University  
• Johns Hopkins University  
• Kawasaki  
• Library of Congress  
• Los Alamos National Laboratory  
• Louisville University  
• MeTV Network  
• Montgomery Police Department (Alabama)  
• Peruvian Ambassador’s email (in Bolivia)  
• San Jose State University  
• Stanford University  
• Toronto Police Service (Canada)  
• Ultimate Car Page  
• University of Alabama  
• University of British Columbia (Canada)  
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln  
• World Health Organization

The case was investigated by the NCIS Atlantic Cyber Operations office in Norfolk, Virginia, with the cooperation and assistance of the DCIS Cyber Field Office, and other federal, state, and local agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick on behalf of the United States.