Man arrested for selling Microsoft source code

By Steve Malone

Posted on 10 Nov 2004 at 08:35

A Connecticut man has been arrested and charged with attempting to sell the source code for Microsoft Windows NT and Windows 2000. The man was arrested following a sting operation mounted by the FBI.

William P. Genovese, Jr., 27 offered the source code on his web site. A private investigator hired by Microsoft and an undercover FBI officer both downloaded copies of the source code and made payments to Genovese.

If convicted Genovese faces up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully distributing trade secrets. It is not alleged that he stole the code himself.