It’s been a bad year for Kristin Nyunt, the ex-wife of former Pacific Grove Police Cmdr. John Nyunt: In July she pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft, two counts of computer network fraud, one count of residential burglary and two counts of forgery.
But authorities weren’t done with Nyunt yet: It was announced in October that after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in partnership with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, Nyunt would face additional charges of illegal wiretapping and the possession of illegal spyware tools.
Today, she pleaded guilty to both charges, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution. Nyunt’s sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2015.
The charges Nyunt pleaded guilty to say that she utilized spy software from 2010-12, which was installed secretly on cell phones and computers, and which allowed her to record phone calls, texts, voicemails and other potentially sensitive information.
The spyware also included a feature that allowed her activate the microphone of a cell phone (unbeknownst to a user) for the purpose of eavesdropping on conversations in proximity to the phones.
Nyunt downloaded the various spyware programs via the internet, reflecting the challenges federal authorities face in an age with ever growing privacy concerns: Just this September, the U.S. Dept. of Justice indicted Pakistani resident Hammad Akbar, chief executive officer of InvoCode Pvt Ltd, the company that advertises and sells one of the programs Nyunt was using.
Nyunt, who ran an unlicensed private investigation business with her ex-husband John, was first arrested in January 2013 on charges of identity theft, burglary and fraud, and things unraveled further earlier this year when John was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill her in March.
John Nyunt is currently serving three years in federal prison for charges related to the business he ran with Kristin.
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