COUNTY RESIDENT CONVICTED OF ILLEGAL ACCESS TO ONLINE DATABASES

Cumberland resident Mathew Mark Schartiger has been convicted of illegal access to online databases and has been sentenced to two consecutive three-year prison terms, with all but 10 days suspended. He was charged in two separate criminal cases, with a combined total of 16 criminal charges. A Maryland State Police investigation determined that Schartiger was impersonating female victims by creating fraudulent email accounts and unlawfully accessing private boudoir photographs, stored on multiple online business platforms. Subsequent search warrants were conducted at a business in the 17000 block of McMullen Highway and his residence, both located in Allegany County. Recovered evidence revealed that Schartiger used both locations to unlawfully access victims’ private online accounts and create unauthorized copies of their photographs.