Cheet-Sheets.com Owner Pleads Guilty; May Face Jail Time
8/27/2002 -- Oregon resident Robert R. Keppel, owner of the now-defunct braindump Web sites Cheet-Sheets.com and CheetSheets.com, pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to a charge of theft of trade secrets, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1832(a)(2).
The charge resulted from allegations made by Microsoft that Keppel was selling questions and answers to Microsoft certification exams.
When he's sentenced on November 1, Keppel faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. He also forfeited a Lexus RX300, a 1997 Ferrari Spider and $56,000 in cash as part of a plea agreement. CertCities.com attempted to reach both Keppel and his attorney for comment, but did not receive a response before this story was posted online.
Assistant United States Attorney Annette Hayes, who prosecuted the case, said this is first application of the theft of trade secrets statute to procure a conviction within the realm of IT certification testing. In June, police in Bexar County, Texas seized the assets of TestKiller LTD and its owners citing the same felony charge, but criminal charges have not been filed in that case.
Previously, most "braindump" cases were pursued in civil court, citing copyright and trademark violations. "The [theft of trade secrets] statute is not that old... which is probably why there hasn't been many [criminal cases of this type]. But there's nothing unique about this case," said Hayes. "We picked this statute because it was the one that applied."
According to Microsoft, the case began when the company received allegations from customers that the content of Keen's CheetSheets contained live exam items. Microsoft made a criminal complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigations during the summer of 2001, which turned the investigation over to its Computer Crimes Division.
In Sept. 2001, the FBI's Computer Crimes Division issued search warrants and seized the cash and cars listed above, as well as papers and other evidence. According to the government, this evidence showed that Keppel began selling the questions some time in 1999. He began buying exam questions from a source in Pakistan in January 2001, which he then incorporated into his test materials. (The government declined CertCities.com's request for the name of the Pakistan source.) Records from a NOVA credit card merchant account, opened by Keppel in July 2000, show that the business earned at least $753,633.03 while that account was active, the government said.
Hayes said that criminal charges were never filed in this case. When her office was given the case in late 2001, they initiated contact with Keppel, and eventually negotiated the guilty plea through Keppel's attorney. The government then filed a Statement of Information with the court on August 8, paving the way for Keppel to enter his plea on Friday.
Hayes told CertCities.com that her office will make sentencing recommendations in late October. According to Hayes, Keppel is currently out on "pre-trial" release.
"I think it's important to note that the government is pursuing these types of cases and we will continue to do so," said Hayes.
Word of the plea spread over the weekend after the Seattle Post-Intelligencer published a short news story online.
"I was ecstatic when I heard the news," said Craig Callaway, president of Self Test Software. "Yes, it's good for [test question] vendors like us, but this is really about the industry as a whole. There's got to be a concerted effort to protect the integrity of certification."
"[This plea] will raise awareness of this problem," said Robert Pedigo, executive director of the Information Technology Certification Security Council, an industry organization that works to preserve the integrity of IT certification exams. "It is probably fair to take this as a shot across the bow of anyone who is attempting to cheat."
Pedigo said that certification vendors are working on improving exam security through a variety of means, including tighter nondisclosure agreements, greater scrutiny of testing centers and legal action, but they are also looking to the certified community for help. "This is an active concern that every single person who holds a certificate should bear in mind. By becoming certified, one is a member of a professional group. And it's important that one defend the integrity of that group."
The owner of one braindump site who wished to remain anonymous told CertCities.com that the plea was not that big a concern. Unlike CheetSheets.com, which commercially packaged live exam items, the source explained that most braindump sites are free collections of thousands of questions submitted by end users. "There's a big difference between looking at 150 screenshots [of actual] questions and poring through a thousand questions -- you can't memorize a thousand questions," the source said. "I think the certification programs realize this."
Even so, the source added that this case may influence his/her site: "I'm thinking of moving away from actual questions and more toward study guides."  - B.N.
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Current  user Comments for "Cheet-Sheets.com Owner Pleads Guilty; May Face Jail Time"
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| 8/29/02 - Jeff's Mom from PA says: |
Where else should we learn Jeff? Set up a 1000 client network in the basement? Will you teach us? Maybe a totaly irelevent BS in computer science? Please. Shutdown the bootcamps and the cheat sites but leave the credible places alone. Where did you learn and get your first job? Were you just walking down the street one day and someone offered one to you and automaticly knew everything and anything? Remember you didn't start out as "Jeff the guru". Don't forget where you came from, put down the diet coke, and get a grip! |
| 8/29/02 - Brainy Smerf says: |
Please stop your crying. All of you. If you don`t use these resources, good. If you do, so what. You learn the material one way or the other. Besides, this has nothing to do with us. This is big business flexing their muscles. Us computer geeks don`t count and never will. Go fix a "server down" or something. Peace. |
| 8/29/02 - Jeff from PA says: |
I don’t really see the word "learning" as "memorization". I guess it is all in where you would like to see your career develop or how high you would like to excel. I personally like to know how to do it. I wouldn’t imagine you could start off with a 1000 clent network in your basement, but it really only takes 1 client. A credible School?? I believe that would be one that does not promote these sites! A irrelevant BS in computer Science?? Agreeable, a BS gives you old technology. You cannot teach experience, but you can get sent down the right path. Choose your path, taking the easy one keeps my job secure. Peace |
| 8/29/02 - Jeff's Mom's next door neighbor's son. says: |
Obviously, Microsoft is doing something about the issue of copyright infringement, but the real question lies in what is going to happen to the people that used the material from cheet-sheets and troytec? Also, what is the penalty for purchasing 1? or 3? or all seven exams? Should they be the same: Decert? Or should this be looked at on an individual basis (did the person attend a technical school?) OR, should this be dealt with the same way that CompTIA dealt with their lawsuit: send out a letter to each individual that purchased the material and ask them to destroy it. Either way, I would not want to lose my Certification because of purchasing one stinking test from cheet-sheets or troytec. Now, if I had purchased all 7 exams and had never set foot in a Technical school...I think I would be asking for it. 'o pie |
| 8/29/02 - Corkyd says: |
? could the problem lie in the vast amount of usless information one has to read, and then see the questions that dont have any relevance to the information you tried to study? Maybe it is the questions that are created by someone who DOESN'T have any certifications or certainly no PRACTICAL application experience, who create the atmosphere that necessitates a condensed version of study.. I read the entire W2KP book.. studied all the questions in the books.. NOT A ONE was in the exam... in fact, the entire exam was more interested in 'assigning permissions' to various groups and unrealistic scenarios that a test creator came up with, rather than the features of W2k! I got lucky.. and passed the lousy exam.. and I've been in the computer business since 1966...I don't know that Mickysoft is the problem, more than the amateurs that create fantasy land exam questions.. I dont really care if 'braindumps ' disclose the exam questions.. because without them, mickysoft and the test sites would double their income on the exams!! hmm.. wonder who REALLY cares about what in this situation.. I know MCSE's that cant boot a PC up.. and folks with no idea about MCSE, aho can run a network, handle all the hardware problems and software applications, but dont have this 'precious certification' to wave around.. just like EXPERIENCED people CAN do the job.. MSCE 'paper experts' aren't worth the paper their certs are printed on.. |
| 8/29/02 - comp2002 says: |
not sure what is the big deal... everybody with two machines at home can pass M$ within so short time... there will always be so many materials in our favorite file sharing programs... the only money we spend is the cash for the exams...(all the SW we have for free from our bodies) the Certs aren't worth too much... Just perhaps to get a starter job :) |
| 8/29/02 - Jeff's Mom's next door neighbor's son. says: |
Ok, here's another question for you: How does this relate to anyone that has ever used Napster, Kazaa, or any of the other file sharez. How many of you 'legit' MCSEs have ever used those services? Are you really spending the $13.00 at Best Buy or $15.99 at Sam Goody for your favorite Yanni CD? I doubt it. This the same basic service that cheet-sheets and troytec provide and, yes, it's the sites should be shut down; yes, the owners of those sites should be dealt with in a reasonable manner, but what if Lars, from Metallica, (Bill from Microsoft, in this case.) started a lawsuit against you for downloading a song? That, I'm sure you would not agree with..., but, I, who have gone out and purchased that really great Tool CD, will be laughing at you for YOUR copyright infringement suit...and maybe, just maybe they'll take away all your CDs, CD Players, and even your computer so you can't do it again. .............Will it ever happen? Probably not. Should that be the case with people that used those study guides. No. |
| 8/29/02 - Old-time MCSE, MCT says: |
I have read all of the previous posts here. It seems that most people here are saying that they don't like the "brain dumps". I was one of the first MCT's in the country. I got my start teaching Windows NT 3.5 when it was a beta product. Back then there were no study guides, no books at the local book store, and certainly no brain dumps. Most people took an exam two to three times. I have authored several (published) books on Microsoft and related products and still to this day have a hard time with MS exams. Some people are just better test takers then others. I think these people who are complaining about their certs having no value are just whiners. There will always be people who are good at taking test. I have people call me from all over the World to ask specifics on MS products, most of them are certified. I know more about MS Backoffice than anyone I've ever met, but I still need help on exams. So what are you really saying here? Reading comprehension is more important then knowing where to find answers to complex questions? To everyone who has one of those certs with no value, you're right, your cert has no value. You have to really be able to prove you can be an engineer, the paper will never carry you through. The certs just open doors, nothing more. |
| 8/29/02 - Anonymous A+, MCP from Dallas says: |
Microsoft controlling their certification is like a small town police department investigating their own internal affairs. The bottom line is they are in it for $$$$. If you walk through the building at Microsoft in Dallas you will see TroyTech on people's desk. They make their own employees get certified and they are doing the same thing. It's just money back in their pocket. When companies start valuing REAL education, and real skills instead of these ridiculous tests things will change. I will never require my employees to take these tests because they are worthless. I'll ask my employees the questions I want. If you are an employer I encourage you to do the same. |
| 8/29/02 - Prabhakar Prasad from Houston says: |
The whole thing looks blown up. People will share experience whether in terms of question banks or brain dumps. There is no way you can prevent that. The purpose of ceritification is to ensure that a candidate who takes the test knows the tool or software. If Microsoft wants to preserve the significance of the exams, then all they have to do is to increase the number of question each month in the same amount of time, thus making the test a little more difficult with time. The older a certification grows, more people get to know about it and the exam seems easier. So, if MS really wants to solve this problem, they need to allow a stiuplated amount of time in which tests can be taken. A small window in which everyone serious will read and take the exam. Beyond that they should start making it difficult. Also the questions need to be reviewed over the period of time. EVEN IF people buy question or dumps, they would be able to answer a similar question only if they know the subject. That is the whole purpose. The way things are going on, nobody seems to be really interested in solving the problem. After all certifcation is a money making business. I share your woes folks. But trust me, a day will come when people will stop taking MS tests and then MS will get serious. |
| 8/30/02 - Anonymous says: |
It must be nice to use government resources (i.e. prosecutors, the court system etc) to further your own private business enterprise and have the average tax payer pay for it all. Its too bad this system only works for large corporations like Microsoft and not for the average citizen. |
| 8/30/02 - Anonymous says: |
What scares me is that the Computer Crimes Division was involved in a copyright case. Also, if the questions were bought from a source in Pakistan, it's not much of a Trade "Secret", is it? |
| 8/30/02 - MCSE from networkland says: |
Good Move. I've seen the cheatsheats...and they are 100% stolen material from the test. Microsloth should go after more companies like this. Speaking of stealing...has anyone been ripped off by AmeriTrain? Then join a class action lawsuit at www.asfb.org |
| 8/30/02 - Anonymous says: |
If Micro$oft would fix their exams to reflect true life situations instead of The World According to Micro$oft, then all would be better. |
| 8/30/02 - Anonymous says: |
The root of the problem is that the Microsoft Official Curriculum simply doesn't cover the material that's on the exam. In order to find out what they're going to be tested on, people resort to discussion groups and braindumps. It's really as simple as that. Rather than go after the so-called "cheaters", Microsoft should spend it's energy on teaching the material properly. (After all, when was the last time you heard of someone pirating the Microsoft Official Curriculum?) I spend my life developing MCSE curriculum for a school and pouring over the exam material and other books (such as the MOC), and I can assure you, there is very little correlation between the books and the exams. Many of the exam questions are based on obscure Technet articles, error messages, and the like, that a person that never come across in real life. Even if you worked with a product such as Windows 2000 for years, you'd never see some of this stuff. |
| 8/31/02 - anonymous says: |
I totally agree with the last post. I have been told the same thing by an instructor at my school who was an MCT and had 20 years of experience in the field. He always told us that Windows is not as difficult an OS to operate as opposed to netware or Unix, there is little done at the command prompt in windows. They had to make the exams difficult by throwing in obscure or vague quesions and only if you had like 30 years experience or have looked at a braindump could answer. Its a game and in order to get your foot in the door you must be able to have that piece of paper! Bootcamps are a bigger fraud and are being closed down as a result of it because the industry doesnt accept their instruction and training in the place of experience.. and they take thousands of dollars from you as opposed to I dont know, $40 you might pay for the braindump?? |
| 8/31/02 - ken from Nairobi Kenya says: |
Microsoft should stop pretending they did not support this. It is only after may MCP's have been proved to be useless and after the money in good salaries that they have come out to stop braindumps. It is disgusing to those who have been certified through the hard way. |
| 8/31/02 - Yoda says: |
Trust in Microsoft, your must not. May the force be with you. |
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