H.S. Hackers Facing More Than Wrist Slap

June 19, 2008 — -- A cyber-quest to improve grades resulted in a 17-page complaint and 69 felony counts against two California high school seniors — probably not the type of paperwork that'll get them into the Ivy League.

The scariest number of all is probably 38 — the number of years alleged cyber-hacker Omar Shahid Khan, 18, could face behind bars if convicted on all 69 charges he faces tied to alleged break-ins at Tesoro High School in Las Flores, Calif. His friend, Tanvir Singh, also 18, could face up to three years for four felony counts.

Their motive, according to prosecutors? To bulk up academic transcripts to make themselves more appealing to college admissions offices.

In April, Khan requested a copy of his official transcript to appeal a decision by the University of California to deny him admission. Prosecutors say that in the middle of that very night, he made one of many attempts to alter his grades by breaking into school offices and hacking into online gradebooks, backdating the date and time stamp of the grade changes to cover up the crime.

The criminal investigation began after Khan later requested a transcript for the second time and school officials noticed a disparity between his recorded grades and his performance in class.

The series of felony counts laid out in the criminal complaint by Orange County prosecutors include burglary, identity theft and receiving stolen property. Khan was arrested Tuesday and released after a $50,000 bond was posted. He was expected in court today. Singh turned himself in on his three charges and was arraigned in court Wednesday.

Prosecutors allege that Khan began breaking into school offices in January, posing at various times as teachers and administrators to access the school's school computer network.

Between January and May, Khan allegedly altered grades in online school district gradebooks for himself and several other students. Between April 17 and May 20, prosecutors say, Khan boosted his own grades — from Cs and Ds to As and Bs — in more than 10 different courses and pilfered several master tests for duplication.

The complaint also details the involvement of Singh, who allegedly sent a text message to Khan on May 19 suggesting they break into school to access an English test scheduled for the following day that he had not studied for. "come haha I need someone with balls there with me," Singh wrote to Khan, according to prosecutors. "I have a huge test on a book tomorrow I haven't read, and its not on spark notes." Sparknotes is a study aide popular with high school and college students cramming for tests.