WASHINGTON-Clinton Watson of San Jose, Calif., who created the “Lifetime Phone” software program used in cloning cellular phones, was sentenced to six years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $300,000 in restitution to wireless carriers, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.
The U.S. Secret Service and San Jose local police said Watson operated the cloning scam from his home. CTIA estimated the loss from Watson’s operations between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.
In other news, Brian Snawder of Omaha, Neb., was arrested and charged with stealing at least $8,000 worth of airtime. Investigators recovered more than 25 wireless phones and more than 100 combinations of numbers possibly stolen from legitimate customers, according to CTIA. The case is not completed yet.
