The owners of a Long Island, New York, Aston Martin dealership are being charged with spying on a rival Ferrari dealership by accessing its e-mail server from February to September of 2008. The information on the e-mails included the names, addresses, and phone numbers of customers; the dealership’s inventory; and employee compensation.

According to the complaint filed by the FBI, Giacomo Ciaccia, 43, of Bronx, New York; Leka Vuksanaj, 42, of Mahopac, New York; and Michael Lussos, 40, of Coram, New York, are charged with one count each of “conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and obtain information for commercial gain and to further an intended fraud”.  The maximum penalty if they’re found guilty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Ciaccia and Vuksanaj owned the Universal Autosports dealership; Lussos worked there as its creative director.

Universal Autosports opened its doors in February 2008 in the space formerly occupied by the Ferrari dealership. Ciaccia worked for the Ferrari dealership as its general manager and Lussos as its webmaster until they were let go in March of 2007. It is speculated that Lussos used his knowledge of the Ferrari’s system to secretly forward all employee e-mails to an unauthorized e-mail address.

[via Bloomberg]

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