14 DAY TRIAL // Ricky Joe Mitchell, 34, of Mableton, Georgia, has admitted crashing his former employer’s computer systems after learning he was going to be fired.
The incident occurred in June 2012. After learning that Charleston-based EnerVest Operating was going to let him go, Mitchell remotely accessed the company’s systems and reset servers to factory settings.
Due to his actions, the organization couldn’t operate normally for around one month. Furthermore, the firm was unable to retrieve data from backups.
“In 2014, it goes without saying that any business’s electronic communication capabilities and data storage are nearly as important to its success as the product or service it provides,” stated United States Attorney Booth Goodwin.
“The prosecution of Mr. Mitchell for his reckless conduct underscores my commitment to help protect small businesses from any threat – both inside and out.”
Mitchell will be sentenced on April 24. He faces a maximum of 10 years and 3 years of supervised release. He might also be ordered to pay restitution.