On August 17, 1990, a federal judge sentenced Leslie Lynne Doucette, a Chicago woman, to 27 months in prison for orchestrating a nationwide ring of computer hackers. This group managed to steal over $1.6 million in telephone and computer services from various companies, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. At the time of her sentencing, Doucette was credited for the 14 months she had already spent in prison following her arrest in 1989.
Doucette was accused of establishing a network of 60 teenagers across the United States. These young hackers were tasked with breaching computer systems to acquire credit card numbers, which they then used to access services. Doucette reportedly pocketed approximately $1.5 million from the activities of these teenagers, some of whom were as young as 14 years old.
In 1989, a U.S. Secret Service Agent informed the New Computer Express that Doucette led what was considered the largest hacking network he had ever encountered. "We call her the Queen of the Hackers," stated another Secret Service Agent at the time.
Recently, Cybercrime Magazine released a 2-minute video featuring Taylor Fox, our social media manager, who recounts Doucette's story. The video was shared on both TikTok and YouTube.
