Excellent news!

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From: "ARRL Web site" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: <Subscribed ARRL Members:>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 3:19 PM
Subject: ARLB017 Radio jammer Jack Gerritsen gets seven years, fines


SB QST @ ARL $ARLB017
ARLB017 Radio jammer Jack Gerritsen gets seven years, fines

ZCZC AG17
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 17  ARLB017
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  September 19, 2006
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB017
ARLB017 Radio jammer Jack Gerritsen gets seven years, fines

It was a day a lot of radio amateurs in Southern California had been 
anticipating for a long time. On September 18, US District Court Judge R. 
Gary Klausner sentenced convicted radio jammed Jack Gerritsen, now 70, to 
seven years imprisonment and imposed $15,225 in fines on six counts -- one a 
felony -- that included transmitting without a license and willful and 
malicious interference with radio
transmissions. Before sentencing, Gerritsen apologized to the federal 
government, the FCC and the local Amateur Radio community, which had endured 
the brunt of Gerritsen's on-air tirades and outright jamming. "I'm sorry, 
and I apologize to everyone here," Gerritsen told those in the courtroom.

Gerritsen's contrition did nothing to convince Klausner toward leniency. The 
judge berated Gerritsen as a repeat offender and said he believed Gerritsen 
would continue to commit similar offenses. The sentence even exceeded US 
District Attorney Lamar Baker's recommended 46 months incarceration.

In addition to the prison time, Klausner fined Gerritsen $225, payable 
immediately, and an additional $15,000 to be paid through the Probation 
Department. Klausner tacked on two years' supervised probation and 
recommended Gerritsen remain in custody in Southern California during that 
period.

Klauser further ordered Gerritsen to participate in a substance abuse 
program at his own expense. He told Gerritsen he could not use any 
identification, including his previous Amateur Radio call sign KG6IRO, other 
than his real name when identifying himself, and he told Gerritsen he could 
not own, possess or use any radio transmitting equipment.

The FCC had been investigating complaints of illegal radio transmissions 
linked to Gerritsen for four years. According to court documents, the FCC 
investigation revealed that Gerritsen transmitted both prerecorded messages 
and real-time harassment and profanity for hours at a time, often targeting 
local Amateur Radio repeater systems and precluding their use by licensed 
operators.

Following trial last December, Gerritsen was found guilty of causing 
malicious interference with a communications system operated by the United 
States -- a felony. The court also found him guilty of two misdemeanor 
counts of willful or malicious interference with radio communications and 
three misdemeanor counts of transmitting radio signals without a license. 
Gerritsen has been in custody since his conviction.

The FCC has already levied $52,000 in fines on Gerritsen for violating its 
rules and the Communications Act.