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Defense: Government Was Out To Get UBS Sys Admin

NEWARK, N.J. -- After six weeks of trial, the UBS computer sabotage case went to the jury Tuesday, but not before the defense, in its closing arguments, charged that government investigators planted evidence, relied on "polluted" evidence, and ignored evidence contrary to its case, in an effort to frame the defendent, a former systems administrator for UBS PaineWebber.

Few of the government's witnesses escaped unscathed from defense attorney Chris Adams' attacks in his two-hour closing here in U.S. District Court.

But then the government's lead prosecutor, who gave his closing argument on Monday, came back in a rebuttal closing, and told the jury that the defense's arguments were a last-minute effort at a red herring.

To believe Adams' argument, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mauro Wolfe, the jurors would have to believe in the existence of a massive, multilayered conspiracy between several private companies and law enforcement agencies, all focused on framing Roger Duronio.

Duronio, 63, of Bogota, N.J., is standing trial on federal charges in connection with the March 4, 2002, attack on UBS PaineWebber that took down nearly 2,000 servers and crippled some branch offices for up to several weeks. He is accused of computer sabotage, securities fraud and mail fraud.

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