Researcher Gets 20 Days in Prison for Hacking State Websites as Political Stunt

David Levin, 31, of Estero, Florida will spend 20 days in prison after hacking two websites belonging to the Florida state elections department.

Levin, indicted on three hacking-related charges, pleaded guilty after turning himself in, in early May. A judge in Fort Myers, Florida, sentenced him on Tuesday, September 6.

The researcher, who is also the owner of Vanguard Cybersecurity, will serve his prison sentence during the weekends so he can attend law school during the week. He also received two years of probation.

A YouTube video led to his arrest

The reason the police started investigating Levin's case was that they received a tip from the Lee County Elections Department at the end of January, after state officials saw the YouTube video.

Levin recorded the video with Dan Sinclair, a candid...