A Los Angeles hacker received a slightly reduced sentence Monday of 55 months in prison for participating in a multi-million computer fraud scheme, after a federal judge took into account the man’s diagnosis with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Viachelav Berkovich, 34, received five months less than the minimum recommended by the probation office and prosecutors, and 23 months less than the minimum under federal sentencing guidelines. His co-defendant, Nicholas Lakes, 36, was sentenced last month to 70 months for masterminding the scheme.
“The court tried to make a fair sentence … and gave us some of what we asked for, and did accept that Mr. Berkovich suffered from Asperger’s,” says Kiana Sloan-Hillier, Berkovich’s defense attorney. “But at the same time felt that this was serious and that a substantial prison sentence was called for to deter others.” Next >>
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