Joseph Konopka
Encyclopedia
Joseph Konopka, better known by his self-given nickname Dr. Chaos, is an American citizen who is currently serving 13 years in prison for 2 felony
acts of conspiracy
to commit acts of terror. In 2004, in Wisconsin, he was also charged with 6 felony counts of arson
and vandalism
, as well as trespassing, and sentenced to an additional 10 years. However, these charges were later thrown out of court on a federal appeal.
. He did not finish high school, however he completed his GED
.
to recruit a group of adolescent disciples. He called this group the The Realm of Chaos. This group was ultimately responsible for 28 full power failures and 20 other service interruptions at various Wisconsin power plants. They also committed arson, disrupted radio and television
broadcasts, managed to disable an air traffic control system, sold pirated software
, and damaged an internet service provider's computer system.
Ultimately, it was established that Konopka and his group caused more than $400,000 worth of damage in 13 different Wisconsin counties. Total damages caused by Konopka over his long history of vandalism and criminal damage is estimated at $2.5 million to $3 million.
Konopka also associated with the Chicago chapter of 2600
, a group of hackers who also publish a magazine and hold gatherings and an annual national conference every year. The FBI visited the 2002 meeting of the Chicago chapter and questioned members about their knowledge of Konopka.
and sodium cyanide
in an unused Chicago Transit Authority
storeroom in the Chicago 'L'
Blue Line subway. Konopka had picked the original locks on several doors in the tunnels, then changed the locks so that he could access the unused rooms freely. Konopka had briefly associated with a Chicago-area urban exploration
group in order to obtain information on how to access the large network of unused tunnels and abandoned rooms on Chicago's transit system as well as to lure juveniles to help him. The cyanide had been stolen from a shuttered warehouse, formerly owned by a water treatment company on Chicago's South Side.
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
acts of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit acts of terror. In 2004, in Wisconsin, he was also charged with 6 felony counts of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, as well as trespassing, and sentenced to an additional 10 years. However, these charges were later thrown out of court on a federal appeal.
Life
Konopka was born in 1976 in De Pere, WisconsinDe Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Registered historic places:...
. He did not finish high school, however he completed his GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
.
"The Realm of Chaos"
Konopka, a former computer systems administrator, used the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to recruit a group of adolescent disciples. He called this group the The Realm of Chaos. This group was ultimately responsible for 28 full power failures and 20 other service interruptions at various Wisconsin power plants. They also committed arson, disrupted radio and television
Broadcast signal intrusion
Broadcast signal intrusion is a term given to the act of hijacking broadcast signals of radio and television stations. Hijacking incidents have involved local TV and radio stations as well as cable and national networks.- Method of intrusion :...
broadcasts, managed to disable an air traffic control system, sold pirated software
Warez
Warez refers primarily to copyrighted works distributed without fees or royalties, and may be traded, in general violation of copyright law. The term generally refers to unauthorized releases by organized groups, as opposed to file sharing between friends or large groups of people with similar...
, and damaged an internet service provider's computer system.
Ultimately, it was established that Konopka and his group caused more than $400,000 worth of damage in 13 different Wisconsin counties. Total damages caused by Konopka over his long history of vandalism and criminal damage is estimated at $2.5 million to $3 million.
Konopka also associated with the Chicago chapter of 2600
2600: The Hacker Quarterly
2600: The Hacker Quarterly is an American publication that specializes in publishing technical information on a variety of subjects including telephone switching systems, Internet protocols and services, as well as general news concerning the computer "underground" and left wing, and sometimes ,...
, a group of hackers who also publish a magazine and hold gatherings and an annual national conference every year. The FBI visited the 2002 meeting of the Chicago chapter and questioned members about their knowledge of Konopka.
Arrest
In 2002, the 25-year-old Konopka was arrested by Chicago Police after he was caught hoarding potassium cyanidePotassium cyanide
Potassium cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula KCN. This colorless crystalline compound, similar in appearance to sugar, is highly soluble in water. Most KCN is used in gold mining, organic synthesis, and electroplating. Smaller applications include jewelry for chemical gilding and...
and sodium cyanide
Sodium cyanide
Sodium cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCN. This highly toxic colorless salt is used mainly in gold mining but has other niche applications...
in an unused Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
storeroom in the Chicago 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
Blue Line subway. Konopka had picked the original locks on several doors in the tunnels, then changed the locks so that he could access the unused rooms freely. Konopka had briefly associated with a Chicago-area urban exploration
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
group in order to obtain information on how to access the large network of unused tunnels and abandoned rooms on Chicago's transit system as well as to lure juveniles to help him. The cyanide had been stolen from a shuttered warehouse, formerly owned by a water treatment company on Chicago's South Side.