By Justin Lee, theWHIR.com
July 23, 2008 — (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — A convicted spammer who made millions of dollars running his operation has disappeared from a federal minimum security prison camp.
Just five weeks into serving his 21-month sentence for tax evasion and criminal spam charges, 35-year-old Edward “Eddie” Davidson fled the Colorado prison camp on Sunday, according to news reports citing Justice Department officials.
Federal law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing Davidson, who is now considered an escapee.
His home-run business, Power Promoters, grossed Davidson at least $3.5 million from 2003 to 2006 by distributing spam.
He sent hundreds of thousands of emails around the world, spoofing headers to dupe recipients into thinking the emails were from legitimate companies.
Soliciting around 19 penny-stock companies, including one called Advanced Power Line Technologies, he earned fees based on the trading volume of the stocks he promoted. One unnamed Houston company earned Davidson at least $1.4 million alone.
Davidson pleaded guilty to tax evasion and criminal spam charges in a December trial, and was sentenced last month to the 21-month prison time and ordered to pay more than $714,000.
Earlier this month, the sentencing for the “King of Spam” began in federal court after the man pled guilty to mail fraud, fraud in connection with electronic mail and willful failure to file return for sentencing.
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