Who is computer hacker Agent Steal?

Answer 1

Noted computer hacker, Justin Tanner Petersen, a.k.a. Agent Steal, a.k.a. Eric Edwin Heinz. Convicted of computer hacking, wire-tapping and other related charges in 1994. Justin worked as an undercover FBI informant 1991 to 1993.

Justin Petersen is best known as the hacker the FBI paid to track down infamous hackers Kevin Mitnick and Kevin Poulsen. Petersen was chosen to work for the FBI due to his work for a P.I. firm operated by Ted Gunderson. Gunderson was formerly the Los Angeles FBI Special Agent in Charge. Faced with a 15-year sentence for unauthorized possession of classified material, Petersen opted to rat his friends out in exchange for a paycheck and a lesser sentence. Petersen was supposedly chosen to work for the FBI due to his affiliation with Gunderson's P.I. firm, "Michaels International". Justin was allegedly performing illegal wiretaps for Michaels International in addition to providing access to DMV, TRW, and other private/government databases.

In 1984 after a brief Secret Service investigation, Justin avoided questioning and went underground. He changed his named to Eric Heinz and moved from Northern Virginia to Hollywood. Petersen continued hacking and was a fugitive for over 7 years. During that period Justin worked as a sound engineer for several Hollywood based rock bands. He was captured in Dallas in 1991 when he came to the attention of the FBI due to his association with Kevin Poulsen.

In 1989 Petersen and Poulsen had hacked in to a Pacific Bell test system and gained access to radio station contest call in lines. Through this system they were able to control the dial in lines and assure that they were the winning callers to the contests. A trio of Petersen's' associates, who included Kevin Poulsen and Lewis DePayne, won two Porsches, and over $50,000 in cash prizes.

After working for the FBI Petersen began hacking again. In 1994 he tapped in to the commercial lending company Heller Financial. He gained Heller's' computer access codes it used to initial wire transfers. Petersen initiated a transfer for $150, 000. Heller noticed the unauthorized transfer just minutes before an associate of Petersen was due to collect it. The transferred was stopped. Petersen was captured a year later and convicted of placing a data-tap on Heller's computer lines and transferring the funds. Justin was the first hacker to be convicted of gaining access to a financial institution's network and initiating a transfer.

Petersen crimes have been published in "The Fugitive Game", "The Watchman", "Cyberthief and the Samurai", and "Takedown." Numerous articles about Petersen's' exploits have made newspaper headlines from 1991 to 1995.

Actor Jeremy Sisto in the screenplay "Takedown" portrayed Petersen in a straight to video movie.

In 1985 Petersen had his left foot amputated as the result of a hit and run motorcycle accident while he was driving drunk on Sunset Blvd.

In 1995 Justin appealed his 41-month prison sentence. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard his case in 1996 and was published in The Federal Reporter here; http://www.unshadowed.com/justinp/agentsteal/courtdecision.HTML

Finally released from Federal prison in 1996 Petersen continued to work in the IT field specializing in the music industry. An article about his music career appeared in Music Connection magazine in 2003: http://www.unshadowed.com/justinp/

CNN/Time Magazine interviewed Petersen shortly after his release for the TV series "CNN Presents". The interview aired in 1998 and again in 2000. It can be viewed on MySpaceTV: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=1423137 Petersen was found dead in his apartment on March 12, 2010. Awaiting autopsy results, official cause of death is unknown.