“The defendant breached his employer’s trust by using his access and technical knowledge to sabotage company networks, wreaking havoc and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for a U.S. company,” Galeotti stated.

Designer loses battle to prevent jail time

After his conviction, Lu transferred to set up a brand-new trial, asking the court to postpone sentencing due to apparently “surprise” proof he wasn’t prepared to resist throughout the preliminary trial.

The DOJ opposed the movement for the brand-new trial and the hold-up in sentencing, arguing that “Lu cannot establish that the interests of justice warrant a new trial” and firmly insisting that proof presented at trial was effectively divulged. They even more declare that rebuttal proof that Lu objected to was “only introduced to refute Lu’s perjurious testimony and did not preclude Lu from pursuing the defenses he selected.”

In the end, the judge rejected Lu’s movement for a brand-new trial, declining Lu’s arguments, siding with the DOJ in July, and leading the way for today’s sentencing. Quiting the defend a brand-new trial, Lu had actually requested an 18-month sentence, arguing that a lighter sentence was suitable considering that “the life Mr. Lu knew prior to his arrest is over, forever.”

“He is now a felon—a label that he will be forced to wear for the rest of his life. His once-promising career is over. As a result of his conduct, his family’s finances have been devastated,” Lu’s sentencing memo read.

According to the DOJ, Lu will serve “four years in prison and three years of supervised release for writing and deploying malicious code on his then-employer’s network.” The DOJ kept in mind that in addition to undermining the network, Lu likewise worked to conceal his criminal activities, potentially hoping his technical savvy would assist him avert repercussions.

“However, the defendant’s technical savvy and subterfuge did not save him from the consequences of his actions,” Galeotti stated. “The Criminal Division is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who attack US companies whether from within or without, to hold them responsible for their actions.”