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National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Office of Inspector General 
Washington, D.C. 20546

May 27, 2003

RELEASE 2003-036: A NASA CONTRACTOR AND FOUR OTHERS INDICTED FOR 
HACKING DIRECTV'S SATELLITE SIGNAL

On May 12, 2003, a Harris County, Texas Grand Jury indicted Donald
Fourman, Stephen Chaisson, Lonnie Fourman, Christopher Davis, and 
Douglas Davis for manufacturing and distributing devices to illegally 
access DirecTV satellite signals.

The indictments charged each of the five defendants with the 
manufacture and distribution of unlawful telecommunications devices 
used for the illegal purpose of hacking DirecTV's satellite signal, a 
third degree felony in the State of Texas.

Donald Fourman, a computer technician with United Space Alliance (a 
contractor at NASA's Johnson Space Center) operated a privately owned 
Internet-based business called Digital Smartcard Solutions.  DirecTV 
officials reported to the NASA OIG that they had traced unauthorized 
access to their networks from a NASA computer network.  Federal
search warrants were executed at the alleged perpetrator's residences
in Houston, Texas; Urbana, Illinois; and Lincoln, Nebraska.  During
these searches, agents seized electronic equipment, manufacturing
tools, and thousands of hacking devices in various stages of
assembly.

The manufacture or delivery of devices used to illegally intercept a 
satellite signal is a violation of federal and state statutes.  If 
convicted in a District Court in Texas, each defendant faces a
maximum penalty of 2 -10 years imprisonment.

Special Agents from the NASA Office of Inspector General and Federal 
Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant 
District Attorney Maria McAnulty, Harris County District Attorney's 
Office, is handling the prosecution.

For more information on this release, please contact Joe Kroener, 
Acting Executive Officer, NASA Office of Inspector General, at (202) 
358-2558.

Previous Releases: None.

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Report Crime, Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Mismanagement to the NASA OIG
Hotline at:  800-424-9183, TDD 800-535-8134.

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