Former University of Iowa Student Pleads Guilty to Computer Fraud Charge

DAVENPORT, Iowa – On April 16, 2018, Trevor J. Graves, age 20, a former University of Iowa student, appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Stephen B. Jackson, Jr., and pleaded guilty to transmission of a command to damage a protected computer, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Graves’ sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.

According to the plea agreement, Graves admitted from March 7, 2015 to November 15, 2016, the University of Iowa, Iowa Courses Online (ICON) computer network was a protected computer and he knowingly and intentionally caused the transmission of a command to the University of Iowa computer network that caused damage and impairment to the integrity or availability of certain data, program, system or information.

Specifically, Graves placed a key logger on University of Iowa computers and fraudulently obtained professors user names and passwords. Graves accessed the ICON system and without authorization changed course grades for himself and five other students. The University of Iowa information technology (IT) costs associated with their internal investigation, response to the discovery of the network breach, and remedial steps taken to update the University of Iowa IT security was approximately $67,900.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, and University of Iowa, Information Services Technology. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Iowa.