SAN DIEGO, July 16 (UPI) -- A California college student will spend a year in federal prison for rigging a student body presidential election, a judge said.
Matthew Weaver, 22, was a junior at Cal State San Marcos when he stole passwords from 700 students and used their identities to cast ballots for himself in the school's online election in March 2012. School officials raised the red flag when a single computer in an academic hall was being used cast hundreds of ballots. When police went to investigate they found Weaver sitting at the computer.
The Los Angeles Times said U.S. District Judge Larry Burns laced into Weaver during his sentencing Monday, saying the former student displayed "phenomenal misjudgment."
"He's on fire for this crime and then he pours gasoline on it" by blaming others, Burns said.
Prosecutors said Weaver was motivated by greed and vanity, seeking the respect that comes with the title student body president -- and the $8,000 stipend the president receives. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized access of a computer.
