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Fired IT Contractor Pleads Guilty to Sabotaging Houston Company by Resetting 2,500 Passwords

He faces up to ten years in prison with sentencing set for Jan. 30, 2026.

Overview

  • Prosecutors said Maxwell Schultz, 35, regained access after his termination by impersonating another contractor to obtain valid credentials in May 2021.
  • He ran a PowerShell script that reset about 2,500 passwords, cutting off thousands of employees and contractors from the network.
  • Schultz admitted trying to conceal his actions by clearing system logs and PowerShell events.
  • The incident caused more than $862,000 in losses tied to downtime, disrupted customer service, and remediation costs, according to prosecutors.
  • He pleaded guilty to acting in retaliation for being fired and now faces up to ten years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine at his January sentencing.