Local : Panorama City Computer Hacker Pleads Guilty to Felony Counts

A computer hacker from Panorama City, who was considered such a danger that prison guards supervised his phone calls to prevent him from accessing computers, pleaded guilty today to two felony counts that could imprison him for a year.

Kevin Mitnick pleaded guilty to one count of possessing 16 unauthorized long-distance telephone codes and one count of computer fraud for gaining access to a Massachusetts computer company’s system and stealing a security program. Mitnick, 25, will be imprisoned for 12 months and subjected to intensive supervision for three years after his release if the agreement is approved by U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer. She scheduled sentencing for April 24.

When Mitnick was arrested, prosecutors insisted he posed such a threat to national computer security that he must be held without bail. Prison guards have been dialing the phone for him so he does not access computers.