Question 1

Bernie Madoff, the mastermind behind the largest criminal conspiracy in history, has been sentenced to death and is currently awaiting execution in a New York prison.

Accepted Answer

Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, not to death. He died in prison in April 2021.

Question 2

Many computer crimes are prosecuted under traditional criminal statutes such as larceny and fraud.

Accepted Answer

Many computer crimes involve actions that are essentially digital versions of traditional crimes, such as theft (larceny) and deception (fraud), and are thus prosecuted under these existing statutes.

Question 3

It is estimated that more than half of all logging activities in the most vulnerable forest regions are conducted illegally.

Accepted Answer

Many reports and studies, including those by the World Bank and various environmental organizations, indicate that a significant portion of logging, especially in vulnerable and tropical forest regions, is conducted without legal authorization, often exceeding half of all logging activities in these areas.

Question 4

Cyber terrorism may result in a battered economy, requiring the government to spend more on the military and cut back on social programs and education.

Accepted Answer

Cyber terrorism can lead to significant economic damage by disrupting critical infrastructure, financial systems, and corporate operations, forcing governments to allocate more resources to defense and cybersecurity, potentially at the expense of social programs and education.

Question 5

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the major enforcement agency against environmental crimes.

Accepted Answer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for enforcing federal environmental laws and regulations, making it a primary agency in the fight against environmental crimes in the United States.

Question 6

Cyber vandalism occurs when a perpetrator carefully skims small sums from the balances of a large number of accounts in order to bypass internal controls and escape detection

Accepted Answer

Cyber vandalism refers to the act of modifying, defacing, or destroying websites or online assets maliciously or as a prank, not the theft of small sums from accounts which is known as skimming or salami slicing.

Question 7

Market manipulation is one of the three major types of Internet securities fraud that is common today.

Accepted Answer

Market manipulation involves practices like spreading false or misleading information to inflate or deflate stock prices, which is a common form of Internet securities fraud alongside cybertheft and fraudulent offerings of securities.

Question 8

Civil libertarians are concerned that the USAPA permits investigations of a broad range of activities involving legitimate political dissent, not just terroristic activity.

Accepted Answer

The USA PATRIOT Act (USAPA) has been criticized by civil libertarians for allowing broad surveillance and investigative powers that can encompass activities related to legitimate political dissent, not just actions related to terrorism. This raises concerns about the potential infringement on civil liberties and the right to free speech.

Question 9

Law enforcement and the courts have traditionally been reluctant to throw corporate executives in jail.

Accepted Answer

Historically, law enforcement and courts have shown reluctance to incarcerate corporate executives for white-collar crimes, often opting for fines and settlements instead, due to challenges in proving intent and direct responsibility, among other factors.

Question 10

The conflict in the Ukraine between the Russian-backed separatists and government forces is an example of revolutionary terrorism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The conflict in the Ukraine between the...

Question 11

According to the United States Criminal Code, a first-time illegal copyright offender will be fined $250,000, and a second-time offender will be incarcerated for 15 years.

Accepted Answer

The penalties for copyright infringement under the United States Criminal Code vary, but a first-time offender is typically subject to a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 5 years, not specifically $250,000, and a second-time offender can face up to 10 years of imprisonment, not 15 years.

Question 12

Retributive terrorism promotes the interests of a minority ethnic or religious group that believes it has been persecuted under majority or colonial rule.

Accepted Answer

Retributive terrorism is primarily motivated by a desire for revenge against perceived injustices or wrongs, rather than the promotion of the interests of a specific ethnic or religious group.

Question 13

Carding and spoofing are concepts associated with mortgage fraud.

Accepted Answer

Carding and spoofing are techniques associated with cybercrime, not specifically mortgage fraud. Carding involves the unauthorized use of credit card information, while spoofing refers to disguising communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source.

Question 14

To be considered illegal dumping, the wastes being dumped have to contain hazardous materials.

Accepted Answer

Illegal dumping refers to the unauthorized disposal of waste, which can include both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, in non-designated areas.

Question 15

In the case of the massive BP oil spill, the government had to show that company officials knew in advance that their actions would lead to the explosion/oil spill and chose to ignore the danger to prove a felony.

Accepted Answer

In legal proceedings related to environmental disasters like the BP oil spill, proving a felony often requires demonstrating that company officials had prior knowledge of the risks associated with their actions and willfully chose to ignore those dangers, thereby showing negligence or reckless disregard for safety and environmental regulations.

Question 16

The simplest way to define terrorism is to equate it with political goals.

Accepted Answer

Terrorism is a complex phenomenon that involves the use of violence or threat of violence to instill fear, often for political, religious, or ideological purposes. Simply equating it with political goals oversimplifies its multifaceted nature and motivations.

Question 17

Large-scale investment growth has led to significant increase in the amount of fraud and misconduct on Wall Street.

Accepted Answer

Large-scale investment growth often attracts more participants to the market, including those with fraudulent intentions, leading to an increase in fraud and misconduct on Wall Street as they seek to exploit the expanding opportunities for financial gain.

Question 18

A Trojan horse is a benign application that contains illicit codes that can damage system operations.

Accepted Answer

A Trojan horse appears to be a legitimate application but contains malicious code that can harm or compromise a system.

Question 19

The USAPA expands the use of racial and ethnic profiling in transportation hubs such as airports and train stations.

Accepted Answer

The USA PATRIOT Act (USAPA) primarily focuses on anti-terrorism measures and does not specifically expand the use of racial and ethnic profiling in transportation hubs. Its main goal is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes related to national security.

Question 20

Cyberstalking usually pertains to threatening or harassing e-mail messages, instant messages, or blog entries that involve less threat of violence than cyber harassment.

Accepted Answer

Cyberstalking involves the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group, or an organization and can include threats of violence, whereas cyber harassment typically refers to persistent behavior that is threatening or disturbing but does not necessarily include threats of violence.

Quiz 14: Criminal Justice in the New Millennium