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Comment by yashap | Hacker News Reader

2 years is less than I’d expect. I remember an 18 year old kid got 1.5 years for creating a variant of the Blaster worm (not even the original), and I don’t think he even profited from it? This guy is a fully grown adult, created an illegal business that performed 200,000 DDOS attacks, likely made millions and caused immense amounts of damage, and … just a 33% longer sentence?

Although, maybe “hacking” type convictions are getting lighter over time?

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It's usually down to your lawyers and who the judge is on the case. It varies a frightening amount.

I agree. Justice is often unjust. I find this problem terrifying.

I read or heard somewhere that we don't have a justice sysyem, we have a legal sysem, and those are very different things. Made me sad, as it rings very true.

The reality is that both are important and need to exist in balance. People being punished despite following the rules because justice demands it will want a legal system. People watching the person that wronged them walk free because there isn't a rule in place forbidding what they did will want a justice system.

Same here. Other people have probably collectively spent vastly more than 2 years' time mitigating and recovering from attacks launched by this guy's service. As a previous victim, I'm still glad to hear there are at least some consequences involved for booter operators.

Jimmy Breslin wrote that 1 year, or whatever, doesn't look like a lot in the newspaper, but it is quite long for the prisoner doing the time.

His sentence indicates to me he made millions and paid top attorneys to get that 2-year forced federal recruitment for new staff program (Federal prison is how minor criminals become majors.)

From the article: "Gatrel opted to take his case to trial, defended the entire time by public defenders."

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