John Kenneth Schiefer, a 26-year-old computer security consultant, built a botnet to carry out a variety of schemes to rip off unsuspecting punters and corporations.

Schiefer has copped a plea to four felony charges in connection with the case. He could face 60 years in prison and a $1.75-million fine, but this is unlikely.

Schiefer went by the handles "acidstorm," "acid" and "storm" and is the first person to be accused under federal wiretapping law of operating a botnet.

Prosecutors say that by intercepting electronic communications, Schiefer stole user names and passwords for Ebay to make unauthorised purchases. He also passed the stolen account information on to others.

Among the court documents a conspirator named "Adam" expressed concern about stealing money. Schiefer responded by reminding Adam that he was not yet 18 and should "quit being a bitch and claim it."

Schiefer was paid by a Dutch Internet advertising company to install its programs on people's computers when they consented. However he installed it on more than 150,000 PCs without permission.
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