Sparta (MI) - A Michigan man must render 40 hours of community service and pay a $400 fine, all because he checked his e-mail outside of a coffee shop instead of buying a cup of joe.

Sparta resident Sam Peterson elicited suspicion from the county's police chief after he noticed Peterson parked outside a local coffee shop every day, and never leaving his car, reports CNN.

Eventually, Chief Andrew Milanowski questioned Peterson, who confessed to "piggybacking", a term that refers to tapping into a Wi-Fi network without authorization. He was not immediately arrested, but Milanowski took Peterson's information and researched to see if a crime was committed. Upon finding a 1979 law that was revised in 2000, about fraudulent access to computers, Milanowski drafted a warrant for Peterson's arrest.

Kent County Assistant Prosecutor told a local news reporter that it was the first time the county had charged anyone with the 28-year-old law.

Violation of the law carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Peterson got off with a $400 penalty and must serve 40 hours of community service, and was not charged with any time behind bars.



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