They charged him with that many counts because they wanted to extort him into signing a plea. That's pretty much how they work these things. It's standard ope

They charged him with that many counts because they wanted to extort him into signing a plea. That's pretty much how they work these things. It's standard operating procedure - overcharge, then sign the plea. The interesting part is that they wanted him to plead guilty to 13 felonies. That is relatively unusual, as in most cases they agree to drop all but one or two counts. In many states that deal would qualify him for a three strikes penalty if he were ever charged with a felony subsequent to this case (a state-based computer crime, for example). If he had taken the deal and were charged a few years later with any felony in Nevada, for example, he would be exposed to a life sentence.