Gainesville man arrested for digital sabotage of former employer’s computer system

Updated on May 2, 2024: The charges of scheming to defraud and computer crimes were dropped. Chetram entered a plea of nolo contendere to fraudulent use of another person’s ID without consent; adjudication of guilt was withheld, and Chetram was ordered to pay $1,522 restitution (paid at the time the plea agreement was signed) and $1,647 in court costs and fees.

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Nicholas Jason Chetram, 40, was arrested on April 13 and charged with three felonies related to sabotage of his former employer’s computer system.

According to an affidavit from Gainesville Police Department, after Chetram was fired from his job at a tire business in October 2022, the business noticed multiple changes to employee files, payroll spreadsheets, and other documents. The business also received nine purchase orders from several vendors, and there were two charges from Google for advertisements, three charges for subscriptions from Indeed.com, and four purchases from tire wholesalers.

An employee of the company observed that almost every employee’s information was deleted, with only Chetram’s information remaining in the system and a message that said, “Send me my money and you can get your files back, it’s been 2 months since you were supposed to pay me, you owe me 2 weeks of pay totaling $1,313.” The affidavit notes that it is true that the employer did not pay the final check to Chetram.

An IT specialist reportedly determined that an outside device had remotely logged into the business’s computer system with Chetram’s credentials, which were not removed from the system until after the sabotage was detected. The specialist was able to find the name of a device that accessed the system, and the device was reportedly traced to Chetram.

Chetram has been charged with scheming to defraud, criminal use of another entity’s identification information, and computer crimes. He was originally held on $50,000 bail, but Judge David Kreider allowed him to be released on his own recognizance after Chetram’s lawyer filed a motion requesting a reduction in the bond.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.