Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Boy Held in ‘Hacker’ Computer Thefts

A 14-year-old Farmington, N.Y. boy was charged with organizing a gang of “hackers” that allegedly stole a $1.2-million software program and computer games from a computer at City University in Bellevue, Wash. The group called itself Mod; the leader was identified only by his computer nickname, “Zod.” Twelve others have been arrested. The group allegedly used a stolen toll-free number to penetrate the computer, and it was tracked down through telephone records. “Zod” is also suspected of having broken into the secretary of the Air Force’s computer in the Pentagon last year.