Editing Kim Dotcom (section)

=== Germany ===
As a teenager, Schmitz acquired a reputation in his native country of Germany after saying that he had bypassed the security of [[NASA]], [[the Pentagon]] and [[Citibank]] under the name of Kimble, derived from Richard Kimble, a character in the 1963 TV series ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]''.<ref name="investigate"/> Some of these hacks are disputed.<ref name=":5"/> He also stated that he had hacked corporate [[Business telephone system|PBX]] systems in the United States and said he was selling the access codes.<ref name="Megalife of Kim Dotcom">Michael Courtenay, [http://www.sociallyengineered.com.au/chronic/2012/02/03/chronic-megalife-of-kim-dotcom/ Megalife of Kim Dotcom] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705064425/http://www.sociallyengineered.com.au/chronic/2012/02/03/chronic-megalife-of-kim-dotcom/ |date=5 July 2018 }}</ref>

Schmitz operated a [[bulletin board system]] called "House of Coolness" where users would trade pirated software; around 1993, Schmitz was reportedly targeted by German anti-piracy lawyer Günter von Gravenreuth, and had become a paid informant.<ref name="forbesgreenberg">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/04/17/where-kim-dotcom-got-his-start-the-house-of-coolness/|title=Where Kim Dotcom Got His Start: The House Of Coolness|first=Andy|last=Greenberg|website=Forbes|access-date=15 January 2023|archive-date=6 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206162733/http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/04/17/where-kim-dotcom-got-his-start-the-house-of-coolness/|url-status=live}}</ref> Schmitz was arrested in March 1994 for selling stolen phone numbers and held in custody for a month. He was arrested again in 1998 on more hacking charges and convicted of 11 counts of computer fraud and 10 counts of data espionage.<ref name=":5"/> He was given a two-year [[suspended sentence]];<ref name="Megalife of Kim Dotcom"/> the judge of the case described Schmitz's actions as "youthful foolishness".<ref name="fastcompany.com">Austin Carr, [http://www.fastcompany.com/1810015/inside-megauploads-megamind-kim-dotcoms-playboy-bunnies-russian-nuclear-vessels-and-private- Inside Megaupload's Megamind: Kim Dotcom's Playboy Bunnies, Russian Nuclear Vessels, And Private War On Terror] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615114725/https://www.fastcompany.com/1810015/inside-megauploads-megamind-kim-dotcoms-playboy-bunnies-russian-nuclear-vessels-and-private- |date=15 June 2022 }}, 20 January 2012</ref>

{{anchor|Letsbuyit.com}}
In 2001, Schmitz bought €375,000 worth of shares of the nearly bankrupt company Letsbuyit.com <small><nowiki>[</nowiki>[[:de:Letsbuyit.com|de]]<nowiki>]</nowiki></small> and subsequently announced his intention to invest €50 million in the company.<ref name="spiegel">[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-21303770.html?name=Haftstrafe+f%26uuml%3Br+Schmitz%3F Haftstrafe für Schmitz?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919190317/https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-21303770.html?name=Haftstrafe+f%26uuml%3Br+Schmitz%3F |date=19 September 2020 }} {{in lang|de}}, ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' 5/2002, 28 January 2002</ref> The announcement caused the share value of Letsbuyit.com to jump,<ref>[http://www.manager-magazin.de/geld/boersenblick/0,2828,114029,00.html "Rekordanstieg bei Letsbuyit"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115153856/https://www.manager-magazin.de/finanzen/boersenblick/a-114029.html |date=15 January 2023 }} {{in lang|de}} Manager-Magazin, 25 January 2001</ref> resulting in a €1.5 million profit for Schmitz.<ref name=":5"/><ref name="Megalife of Kim Dotcom"/>