According to a press release from the FBI's Tampa office, Patricia Marie Fowler, a former IT technician, received 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $17,243.01 in restitution. Fowler, was employed at the Suncoast Community Health Centers (SCHC) in Ruskin, Florida, was found guilty in September of computer intrusions resulting in over $5,000 in damages to SCHC.
According to trial testimony, Fowler had been fired by SCHC on March 13, 2009, for insubordination and failing to follow the orders of her supervisors. On March 17, SCHC employees discovered that a computer intrusion had occurred and that damage had been done to the SCHC computer system. From March 17, 2009 through April 1, 2009 numerous unauthorized intrusions were made into the SCHC computer system which resulted in the deletion and movement of files from the computers of SCHC executives, changing of administrative account names and passwords, removing access to infrastructure systems, changing pay and accrued leave rates on the employee payroll system, and the compromise and lockout of the firewall used to secure the SCHC network.
In addition, Fowler will be placed on supervised release for 3 years after serving her sentence.
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