Accused 2008 PSN hacker gets probation for smashing computers

A 23-year-old man suspected of assisting in the 2008 PlayStation Network hack has been sentenced to a one year house arrest, but not for the hacking itself.

The The Columbus Dispatch reports that 23-year-old Todd M. Miller, who has completed school to the ninth grade, was sentenced in federal court last week for obstructing a federal investigation by smashing his computers.

According to the report, after the FBI spoke with Miller in 2011, they returned to his home to find his computers had been destroyed, including important information stored on hard drives.

"Without the computers, the FBI did not have enough evidence to pursue hacking charges against Miller and another unnamed Columbus man, according to court records," The Columbus Dispatch reports.

During his hearing, Miller told U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus that he was "immature and ignorant," noting that he "caught up with the wrong people at the wrong time." Economus sentenced Miller to three years probation and mandated that he get high school equivalency diploma.

According to the report, Miller faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The March 2008 PSN breach compromised personal information like passwords, but was dealt with swiftly. A more widespread and long-lasting hack occurred in April 2011, when the PSN was brought down for over a month, with personal information for the service's 75 million members exposed.