Former Student Sentenced for Causing Damage to University of Iowa Computer Network

DAVENPORT, IA-- On August 23, 2018, Trevor J. Graves, age 23, a former University of Iowa student, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to four months in prison after pleading guilty to unauthorized access and damage to the University of Iowa college computer network, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Graves was ordered to serve two years of supervised release, pay $67,900 in restitution, and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Graves pleaded guilty in April 2018.

Graves admitted he knew from May 2015 to November 15, 2016, the University of Iowa Iowa Courses Online (ICON) computer network was a protected computer. During this time period, Graves knowingly and intentionally placed a key logger on University of Iowa computers and fraudulently obtained professors’ user names and passwords, accessed the ICON computer network, and deleted and changed student grades. Specifically, Graves accessed the ICON system and, without authorization, changed course grades for himself and five other students. The University of Iowa’s information technology costs associated with their internal investigation, response to the discovery of the network breach, and remedial steps taken to update the University of Iowa information technology 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 division. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.