Spammer convicted to pay $11.2 billion

[Sam]

There has been a judgment in the lawsuit filed in 2003 by CIS, an Iowa
internet services provider, against James McCalla, a Florida man
accused of sending more than 280 million illegal spam e-mails into
CIS's network, which provides internet connections in Eastern Iowa and
parts of Illinois.

In the judgment, issued December 23, 2005, McCalla was convicted to pay
$11.2 billion for sending millions of unsolicited e-mails advertising
mortgage and debt consolidation services. McCalla is also barred from
accessing the internet for three years.

The figure sets a new high for convictions against spammers. In 2004,
judgments totaling more than $1 billion were issued against Cash Link
Systems and the TEI Marketing Group, both of Florida, and AMP Dollar
Savings of Arizona.

Several cases are pending that could raise the bar even further in
2006.

Sam