Hacker faces Thai prison

NEWS Former hacker Kim 'Kimble' Schmitz has been arrested in Thailand and charged with insider dealing. Schmitz is accused of using insider knowledge to buy shares worth $375,000 to sell them for $1.5m as a part of his KimVestor Ponzi - investment scheme, according to German newspaper reports. He also told German media that he will commit suicide on his 28th birthday, which is today. Schmitz's home page http://www.kimble.org , features an image of a tombstone with the following statement: "Enough is Enough. Kim Schmitz will die next Monday. See it on this Web site live and for free. When the countdown is over, Kim steps into a new world and wants you to see it." Schmitz, working these days as a security consultant, gained publicity earlier last year when he promised financial back-up to the ailing Letsbuyit.com. He later became involved with offering a $10m reward for information leading to the arrest of Osama Bin Laden as well as with the Young Intelligent Hackers Against Terrorism (YIHAT), a motley crew of hackers aiming to track down international terrorists.