------------------------------ From: Reprint from Newsbytes (John and Barbara McMullen) Subject: SUNDEVIL ARREST ANNOUNCED 4/13/91 Date: April 3, 1991 ******************************************************************** *** CuD #3.11: File 3 of 5: Sundevil Arrest Announced *** ******************************************************************** PHOENIX, ARIZONA, U.S.A., 1991 APR 1(NB) -- The Maricopa County Arizona County Attorney's Office has announced the arrest of Baron Majette, 19, also known as "Doc Savage", for alleged crimes uncovered in the joint federal / state "SunDevil" investigation in progress for over a year. Majette is charged with a number of felony crimes including the use of a telephone lineman's handset in March 1990 to tap into a Toys 'R Us telephone line to set up two conference calls between 15 participants. According to the charges, each call lasted approximately 10 hours and cost $4,000. A spokesperson for the County Attorney's office told Newsbytes that a Tucson resident, Anthony Nusall, has previously pleaded guilty to being a participant in the conference Majette is also accused of illegally accessing TRW's credit data base to obtain personal credit information and account numbers of persons in the TRW database. He is alleged to have then used the information obtained to divert existing account mailings to mail drops and post office boxes set up for this purpose. He is also alleged to have additional credit cards issued based on the information obtained from the database. He is further alleged to have obtained cash, goods and services, such as airline tickets, in excess of $50,000 by using cards and account information obtained through entry into the TRW database. It is further alleged that Majette stole credit cars from U.S. Mail boxes and used them to obtain approximately $10,000 worth of cash, goods and services.The allegations state that Majette acted either alone or as part of a group to perform these actions. A County Attorney spokesperson told Newsbytes that further arrests may be expected as result of the ongoing investigation. While bail was set on these charges at $4,900. Majette is being held on a second warrant for probation violation and cannot be released on bail until the probation hearing has been held. Gail H. Thackeray, former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Arizona, currently working with Maricopa County on the SunDevil cases, told Newsbytes "The SunDevil project was started in response to a high level of complaint of communications crimes, credit card fraud and other incidents relating to large financial losses. These were not cases of persons accessing computers 'just to look around' or even cases like the Atlanta 'Legion of Doom' one in which the individuals admitted obtaining information through illegal access. They are rather cases in which the accused alleged used computers to facilitate theft of substantial goods and services." (Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19910401) ******************************************************************** >> END OF THIS FILE << ***************************************************************************