November 26, 2024 at 03:42PM
Nicholas Michael Kloster, 31, appeared in court for alleged cybercrimes, including breaking and entering, credit card abuse, and manipulating computer systems of two companies shortly after his employment. Prosecutors claim he caused $5,000 in damages to a nonprofit and faces charges related to computer access and damage. Trial is scheduled for April 2025.
### Meeting Takeaways:
1. **Defendant Information:**
– Nicholas Michael Kloster, 31, from Kansas City, is facing charges related to multiple cybercrimes.
2. **Timeline of Alleged Crimes:**
– Kloster’s alleged criminal activities took place over a three-month period, beginning in March 2024.
3. **Employment and Misuse of Company Resources:**
– Hired by “Company Victim 1” in March 2024.
– Allegedly utilized the company credit card for personal purchases, including a thumb drive marketed for hacking purposes.
– Terminated from employment on April 30, 2024, after a brief employment duration.
4. **Criminal Incidents:**
– **Health Club Incident (Victim 2):**
– Broke into a health club on April 26, 2024, and communicated the details of the break-in via email using his company email account.
– Email described methods of accessing security systems and exploring user accounts.
– Alleged reduction of his gym membership to $1, theft of a staff member’s name tag, and deletion of his account photograph.
– Posted a social media image of the gym’s CCTV stream, implying a threat to the gym’s security operations.
– **Non-Profit Computer Incident (Victim 3):**
– On May 20, 2024, accessed a restricted area of a nonprofit organization.
– Used a boot disk to gain access to a computer, changed multiple passwords, and installed a virtual private network, causing an estimated $5,000 in damages.
5. **Legal Charges:**
– Kloster faces two counts:
– Accessing and obtaining information from a protected computer (Victim 2).
– Reckless damage to a protected computer (Victim 3).
6. **Next Steps:**
– A scheduling conference for Kloster’s trial is set for April 1, 2025.
7. **Representation Status:**
– Kloster’s legal representation has not provided immediate comments.