Hacker attacking Israeli group gets 15 months

On Thursday (March 27), a computer hacker who had lived — and was briefly jailed — in San Diego was sentenced to 15 months in prison by a St. Louis federal judge. Jonathan Cowden had earlier pleaded guilty to attacking Nefesh B'Nefesh, an Israeli organization assisting immigrants to that country, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His indictment said he stole data, damaged computers, and boasted about his exploits on Twitter and elsewhere, according to the Post-Dispatch.

Cowden, who suffers from depression, bipolar disorder, and alcoholism, thanked the judge for helping him control his anger. Although federal sentencing guidelines call for 21 to 27 months in prison for such crimes, the judge cited Cowden's ongoing health treatment and steady work history.

On December 31, 2012, Cowden crashed into a Pacific Beach duplex driving a Mercedes-Benz. Nearly half his car was jammed into the home. During his field sobriety test, he could barely keep steady, according to KGTV ABC 10.