Marc Baier, Ryan Adams and Daniel Gericke, who illegally transferred computer-hacking technology to the United Arab Emirates, have successfully pled out their crimes of computer fraud and violating export control laws, and they’ve received their sentences.

The men will have to pay $1.7 million to resolve the criminal charges in the “Hacking for Hire” operation.

Their deal also includes

a deferred prosecution agreement also requiring the men to cooperate with the investigation, sever ties with any UAE intelligence or law enforcement agencies, and forego security clearances. The Justice Department will abandon the prosecution if they comply with those and other terms for three years[.]

Never mind that computer fraud, on a first conviction, is punishable by prison terms of up to 10 years, and that export control violations are punishable by prison terms of up to 5 years.

This compares with a navy sailor who ignorantly took souvenir pictures in a classified area of a submarine, and then actually did a year in jail.

Justice most assuredly was not served. The three men, with their wealth, were able to buy their way out into light sentences and a supervision period much less than the jail time for which they were eligible.