Ex-Marine impersonating sailor spent 15 days on aircraft carrier

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20001031-9999_1m31crew.html

[Social engineering exists at all levels, It doesn't always take a
computer to hack the U.S. Navy, and either way, You usually get caught
in the end. -WK]


By Kristen Green
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
October 31, 2000

For 15 days, Bryan Hopkins played sailor aboard the aircraft carrier
Constellation.

He wore a sailor's uniform. He ate meals in the mess deck and slept on
bunks among crew members. He watched television, worked out in the gym
and played video games with the crew.

He did everything the other sailors did, except actual work.

Only Hopkins wasn't a sailor. He was just pretending to be one so he
could hang out with his friends on board.

He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of impersonating an officer of
the U.S. government yesterday in a federal court hearing.

Hopkins, 26, told the court he attempted to board the ship simply to
see if he could get away with it.

"I didn't expect to be here today," he told U.S. District Judge Barry
Moskowitz.

Hopkins, who lives in the College Area, was discovered on the
Constellation after someone called the Navy and alerted authorities
Hopkins was on board.

A former Marine, Hopkins boarded the Constellation July 25 while it
was docked at North Island Naval Air Station by flashing an expired
military identification.

Once he was aboard, he sorted through trash cans until he found a
discarded uniform that fit him, he said. He wrote his last name inside
the collar in ink, and attached the insignia for a petty officer
second class that he had brought with him.

Then, as the ship traveled to Seattle for a community event, he
blended in with about 2,500 sailors on board.

He wasn't discovered until Aug. 8, as the ship was returning to San
Diego from Seattle.

A Navy spokesman said a sailor was reprimanded for helping Hopkins get
on the ship.

"What's good is we apprehended him and no damage was done," said Cmdr.
Dave Koontz.

He said while the Navy is "always concerned about security," instances
where someone sneaks aboard a ship happen "once in a blue moon."

Under a plea agreement, Hopkins likely will get credit for the three
days he served in the ship's holding cell after he was found and an
additional 37 he spent in jail, said Assistant U.S. Attorney David
Frank.

Frank said Hopkins apparently didn't plan to cause the Navy or the
ship any harm.

The plea agreement calls for Hopkins to be sentenced to a year of
probation, but the judge has the option to sentence him to up to three
years in prison and fine him as much as $250,000.

Hopkins was an active member of the Marine Corps for four years, until
Nov. 7, 1996. According to court records, he guarded nuclear weapons
at North Island and had top secret clearance. His inactive military
status expired in January of 2000.

He was out of jail yesterday on a $20,000 bond.


*==============================================================*
"Communications without intelligence is noise;  Intelligence
without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
================================================================
C4I.org - Computer Security, & Intelligence - http://www.c4i.org
*==============================================================*

ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".