Howard Carmack

Howard Carmack, also known as the Buffalo Spammer,{{cite web|url=http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/jury-finds-buffalo-spammer-guilty-identity-theft-and-forgery|title=Jury Finds Buffalo Spammer Guilty Of Identity Theft And Forgery|publisher=New York State Attorney General|accessdate=July 31, 2012|date=April 1, 2004}} was the first sender of spam in the United States to be imprisoned. He was arrested in New York in May 2003,{{cite web|url=http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/buffalo-spammer-arraigned|title=Buffalo Spammer' Arraigned On|date=May 14, 2003|accessdate=July 31, 2012|publisher=New York State Attorney General}} and sentenced in March 2004 to between 3.5 and 7 years in prison.{{cite news|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/buffalo-spammer-gets-35-7-years-083|date=May 27, 2004|accessdate=July 31, 2012|title=Buffalo spammer gets 3.5 to 7 years|work=InfoWorld}}

Carmack sent out 825 million e-mails, fraudulently using the identities of two people from the city of Buffalo, as well as hundreds of aliases.{{cite news|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/115503/buffalo_spammer_convicted.html|title='Buffalo Spammer' Convicted|date=April 1, 2004|accessdate=July 31, 2012|work=PC World}}

Before this conviction, Carmack also lost a lawsuit before a federal court in Atlanta, which required him to pay damages of US$14.5 million to Earthlink, his former internet service provider, for the same actions.{{cite news|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/110627/earthlink_wins_16_million_in_spam_case.html|title=EarthLink Wins $16 Million in Spam Case|accessdate=July 31, 2012|date=May 7, 2003|work=PC World|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605222612/http://www.pcworld.com/article/110627/earthlink_wins_16_million_in_spam_case.html|archive-date=June 5, 2011|url-status=dead}}