Head Start: College Kid Gets Prison For Rigging Student President Election

from the get-'em-while-they're-young dept

Mon, Jul 22nd 2013 2:21pm — Timothy Geigner

We've covered mishaps with regard to e-voting in elections for quite a while now, but you may have noticed that these stories tend to revolve around the big leagues of politics. E-votes to hotmail accounts in national elections, experimental patches being applied to voting machines in Ohio, and Irish voting machines so horrifically flawed that they ended up being sold for less money than required to buy a pint of Guinness are all to do with, shall we say, professional politicians. And just as with the sporting world, the college ranks of amateur politicos are left untainted by this sort of malfunction, drama, and cheating.

Actually, just like in the sporting world, the college ranks can be every bit as dirty, as shown by the story of how one former college student will get jail-time for rigging his school's elections for President of student government.

Matthew Weaver, 22, of Huntington Beach, Calif., stole almost 750 students' identities to try and become president of the San Diego County college's student government. His plan went awry when the school's computer technicians noticed an anomaly in activity and caught Weaver with keystroke loggers as he sat in front of the suspicious computer.

Yes, the aspiring politician did what we all kind of assume professional politicians do: played dirty. In what was apparently a months-long plot to get something like $30k in stipends, Weaver bought keylogging software and installed it on university computers to get student credentials and vote for himself. His plan was to win Student President and then appoint a bunch of his frat brothers into roles to keep the stipends rolling in. You know, like pretty much all politicians do. And, to keep the parallel going, Weaver made matters worse by trying to cover up his fraudulent behavior by creating fake Facebook accounts for his stolen identities and then make it look like they were all supporting his campaign and alluding to a frame-job when the university began its investigation.

"He's on fire for this crime, and then he pours gasoline on it to try to cover it up," the judge reportedly said during Monday's sentencing hearing.

When that bit of trickery failed, Weaver, as pro-politicians eventually do, admitted his guilt in court, got a year in prison, and the elections were voided and will be reheld. In the meantime, SDC College will be without anyone in its senior student political office, just for a bit of fraud and asshattery. I can only assume that after he's released from jail, he'll announce his candidacy for Governor of Illinois.

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Filed Under: college elections, elections, rigging elections

43 Comments

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Trails (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 2:30pm

I can only assume that after he's released from jail, he'll announce his candidacy for Governor of Illinois.

BAZINGA!
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Pixelation, 22 Jul 2013 @ 2:47pm

And Bush didn't serve any time...
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chad holbrook, 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:00pm

I don't get it.
I don't understand how he was able to install the keylogger. Is there no security at SDC? I know that they noticed it and caught him but there shouldn't have been any way that a student has root access to the local machine to install the software. So there is another parallel to the our government. They stop something that should never have been possible. Sloppy work for everyone except the network team. He will end up running some company that will own the politicians instead of becoming one.
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Wally (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:09pm

Voting Machines...
Oh man I almost forgot about that software patch that northern Ohio got. Living in Knox County, Ohio...which is in central Ohio...refused to patch the voting machines.
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Wally (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:10pm

Re: I don't get it.
He could have used a simple thumb drive or SD card to load the key logger on boot. He could get user names and passwords that way.
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Wally (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:12pm

Re:
You mean Obama? The Ohio E-Voting machine a candle happened when pretty much everyone was distracted by the flooding along the I-90 corridor along the Lake Erie Shoreline.
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zerostar83, 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:16pm

Somewhere out there
Find a quiet place, and listen carefully. You'll hear the voice of a politician muttering "Do as I say, not as I do, damn kid!"
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OldGeezer (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:32pm

Got no sympathy for this guy. This was not Aaron Schwartz crusading for an open internet. This was a thief plotting to steal thousands of dollars. He deserves to go to jail. Note though that he basically got a minimum sentence for a felony and not 30 or 40 years. You only get that when you step on a lot of toes and they are gunning for you. Likely he won't do the whole year if he behaves himself.
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madasahatter (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:32pm

Party?
Did he declare what party he belong to?
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PRMan, 22 Jul 2013 @ 3:37pm

Re: Party?
Yeah, frat party.
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John Fenderson (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:05pm

Re: Re:
Well, Bush. I don't know much about this with Obama, but I'd be willing to entertain the idea that he should be added to the list, too. This isn't a partisan problem at all.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:10pm

Talk about misleading headlines...
The guy obviously got jail time for computer fraud and stealing peoples' identities.

Maybe I'm wrong - is there a criminal law on the books for rigging a college election?
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Gee, 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:15pm

not to worry. Representatives from the Democratic and Republican Parties have already been dispatched to welcome him aboard.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:47pm

Re: Re:
Yes, you are absolutely correct!!!!
Only the DemoLibTards would EVER stoop to such tactics.
The GOP is above all that juvenile below the belt criminal activity. They are perfect in every way and are being ruthlessly attacked with baseless claims about activities they would never even think about.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:49pm

He's not nearly crooked enough to run for governor in IL.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 4:56pm

Re:
I think the point is ... others have not been prosecuted for similar or more grievous crimes.
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This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 6:01pm

Tim whats your excuse ???
At least politicians lie and cheat for valid reasons, what's your excuse ?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 6:03pm

So they can arrest students, but can't bring themselves to arrest real politicians that are even worse?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 6:14pm

Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
Why is the headline of this article A BLATANT LIE ??? Tim ?
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 6:38pm

Re: Tim whats your excuse ???
This coming from someone who could not tell the truth if their life depended on it.

Hey AJ, when are you going to finally admit to cheating on your exams?

Still to gutless to come clean?
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Akari Mizunashi (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 7:10pm

"In the meantime, SDC College will be without anyone in its senior student political office..."

So what you're really trying to say is SDC College will have the greatest year on record in the school's history due to the absence of a political office.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 7:17pm

Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
You are a blatant lie, darryl.
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Jul 2013 @ 8:02pm

Re: Tim whats your excuse ???
"At least politicians lie and cheat for valid reasons"

And what - exactly - might those reasons be?
Whilst waiting for enlightenment, might I suggest a few reasons?
1) complete lack of ethics or morals
2) financial gain
3) sex
4) additional power (over those less fortunate because that is much more enjoyable)
5) revenge
6) spite
7) just because
8) megalomania
9) sociopath
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jupiterkansas (profile), 22 Jul 2013 @ 9:13pm

Re:
Yes, that kid's got a bright future.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 1:07am

As much as I hate living in Illinois and all of the corruption in our leadership, I can't hold them 100% accountable. Somehow the idiots in our state keep voting them into office.
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McCrea (profile), 23 Jul 2013 @ 1:14am

Re: Talk about misleading headlines...
I imagine it was more about the $36,000 stipends for the 5 positions.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 2:16am

Re:
Students don't have armies of lawyers.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 3:17am

Basic tennant of REAL Journalism
TELL THE TRUTH.... !!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 3:19am

Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
TD Censorship at it's best,

Sorry for calling you out for this lie, but it is what it is, try to hide it all you like.

It's easier if you ignore it after all, if you find the truth distasteful, then by all means avert your eyes, censor away !!!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 3:25am

Truth might even be INCONVENIENT
Does not make it any less the truth..

Avoid it all you like,

Censor it all you can. At least have the balls to admit it, even if you don't feel obliged to state it. (truth that is).

And you wonder why TD will never be considered "mainstream media".

Truthfulness
ACCURACY
objectivity
impartiality
fairness
public accountability

just to name a few.. and to highlight your ongoing and continuous failure to even come close to a code of conduct.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 3:28am

One day
ONE day you are going to come across something that is actually truthful that supports your world view, but when you post it here no one will take you seriously, because most of the stuff you post here is easily shown to be based on lies and biased opinion.

Hear about the boy who called wolf ?

(motto, don't lie).
(or don't tell the same lie twice... DS9)
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 3:29am

Re: Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
wow great come back !!!
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Dark Helmet (profile), 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:04am

Re: One day
Wow, you are especially crazy today, aren't you?
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Pragmatic, 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:05am

Re: Re:
So losing Ohio had nothing to do with Governor Romney's lies about the Jeep jobs being outsourced to China?
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Percius Grammaticus, 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:19am

Re: Basic tennant of REAL Journalism
tenet
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:20am

Re: Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
So that's two words you don't understand the meaning of: lie AND censorship.
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dennis deems (profile), 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:21am

Re: Re: One day
This story seems to cut close to the bone for some...
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Percius Grammaticus, 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:23am

Re: Re: Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
And "sorry"; that makes three words.
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Ninja (profile), 23 Jul 2013 @ 6:49am

Re:
I was thinking something similar.

as pro-politicians eventually do, admitted his guilt in court, got a year in prison, and the elections were voided and will be reheld

In pro politics nobody is punished.
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Percius Grammaticus, 23 Jul 2013 @ 7:36am

Re: Truth might even be INCONVENIENT
The phrase "ongoing and continuous" is redundant.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 9:19am

Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
Then tell us what part of it is a blatant lie?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Jul 2013 @ 9:19am

Re: Accuracy in reporting.. code of ethics
How is it a "blatant lie"?

Lets look at the title:
"College Kid Gets Prison For Rigging Student President Election"

now lets looks at the source post:
"http://threatpost.com/college-student-gets-year-in-prison-for-election-fraud/101365"

Is this person a a college student? Yes
Did he rig an election? Yes
Was it a student presidential election? Yes
Will his actions involve him going to prison? Yes, for 1 year

So where is this "lie" exactly?
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Matthew Cline (profile), 23 Jul 2013 @ 4:12pm

How is it a "blatant lie"?
I'm just guessing here, but I think that anonymous's point is that there isn't any law which makes it illegal to rig a college election, and instead the student jail time for computer fraud, identify theft, and so on. But at worst that's just being misleading, and the result of unskillfully summarizing, rather than intentionally trying to deceive.
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