KNOXVILLE – A federal jury has convicted a former Tennessee college student of two charges in the hacking of Sarah Palin’s e-mail account.
The jury convicted 22-year-old David Kernell of unauthorized access to a computer and obstruction of justice. He was found not guilty of wire fraud and the jury failed to reach a verdict on identity theft.
Kernell was charged with breaking into Palin’s e-mail while she was the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008.
Defense attorney Wade Davies has said it was a prank, but prosecutors claimed he was trying to damage Palin’s campaign.
The conviction for obstructing an investigation can carry a maximum 20-year prison sentence.