ORLANDO — A student at the University of Central Florida is in trouble with the law after investigators say he hacked into his professor’s computer to change a failing grade into a passing one.
UCF police say surveillance video shows two students, just after midnight on May 5th, walking down the hallway in the Math and Science building on campus.
That’s right around the same time an engineering professor says he got an email alert, CNN affiliate WKMG reports.
That alert said that a grade had been changed in his gradebook program, except he didn’t change it.
The grade was for engineering student Sami Ammar, who the professor says was getting an “F” in his class.
The professor says Ammar only completed one assignment all semester.
(Left) Sami Ammar
The student allegedly changed his grade to a “B”.
UCF police said they got a hold of the IP address that was used to make the change. They were able to track it down to a classroom in the Math and Science building, room 306.
Investigators say they looked at the surveillance video from that time in the building and made a connection.
They confirmed that Ammar was one of the students in the surveillance video.
Police said the video showed Ammar and his friend, Samuel Williams, walking out of room 306.
Last week, UCF police questioned Ammar and they say he turned himself in to the Orange County Jail. He was charged with accessing a computer without authority.
He was released on $1,000 bond.
Williams, the second man in the video, will not face any charges.
