Hacker Claims Form of Autism

By David Liu and editing by Rachel Stockton

One of the world's most notorious hackers asked a judge to consider his mental condition in sentencing him for his role in masterminding the biggest identity theft in U.S. history.

Albert Gonzalez claimed that he suffered a form of autism that affects his behavior. The judge in Boston federal district court has delayed the sentencing for three months to allow prosecutors time to look into the hacker's claim that he may suffer from Asperger’s syndrome.

One psychiatrist hired by Gonzales' attorney determined that the hacker's behavior was consistent with the description of the Asperger's disorder" and “internet addiction", Reuters reported, citing court documents.

Asperger’s syndrome is a developmental disorder by definition and lies under the autism spectrum disorder umbrella.  The disorder is characterized by some degree of impairment in language and communication skills and is demonstrated through repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought and behavior, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke.

The most striking symptom of the disorder is a person's "obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other".

Gonzalez allegedly led a group of hackers to break into computer systems and stole more than 170 million payment card numbers from a data processor payment system; among were some big retailers, such as Barnes & Noble.

Potentially, Gonzalez could be served a prison sentence of 15 to 25 years.  He has already lost $1.1 million in cash, a high end Condominium, a pistol and several computers.