David Farber | 14 Jan 01:54

More on Cap'n Crunch


Begin forwarded message:

From: Donnlorna <at> aol.com
Date: January 13, 2007 7:21:54 PM EST
To: dave <at> farber.net
Cc: newseditors <at> wsj.com, observer <at> westnet.com, tmisa <at> umn.edu,  
yostx003 <at> tc.umn.edu
Subject: More on Cap'n Crunch

Dave,

I wrote the only authorized biography of John Draper (AKA Cap'n  
Crunch) published in my second book on computer crime, "Fighting  
Computer Crime," Scribners, 1983. It covered his three criminal  
convictions.The producers of the movies Wargames and Sneakers were  
inspired by my books.  I was partly responsible for getting John out  
of prison in Pennsylvania by appealing to the judge that John was  
being forced with physical threats and torture by organized criminals  
to teach them how to phreak telephone systems. They injured his back  
when they caught him purposely teaching them incorrect technology by  
smuggling his teachings out of the prison and having them tested. I  
told the judge that John was more dangerous in prison than out. John  
did indeed write the first word processor for IBM's PC. He was  
convicted at least a fourth time when he was caught teaching his  
young companions that were living with him how to counterfeit BART  
train tickets in Oakland, California. He claimed to me that all his  
problems were caused by other people who forced or deceived him into  
revealing his hacking methods and got him into trouble.

Donn Parker

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Gmane