Updated (6/8/09)

Marcus Barrington's sentencing has been postponed until July.
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UPDATE 3.27.09

A FAMU grad is found guilty on all charges in a massive grade-changing scheme.

Marcus Barrington is now facing years behind bars in a conspiracy that prosecutors say could have ultimately cost FAMU and taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

On Thursday, Marcus Barrington left Tallahassee's federal courthouse a free man.

Friday, he was handcuffed and taken away by U.S. Marshals after a jury took just two hours to find him guilty of conspiracy, computer fraud and identity theft.

"I'm just saying to God be the glory, no statement at all," his mother said as she and Barrington's father were leaving the courthouse.

"He chose not to accept responsibility at any point in time has he accepted responsibility for his conduct," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Mountin. "He has never done it, didn't do it in court and I don't anticipate that his attitude will change at all in light of the fact that he has been convicted. He's never seemed to appreciate the magnitude of this crime," Mountin said.

Barrington testified in his own defense, saying he knew his roommate and friend were changing grades, but he didn't do it. The jury didn't buy it and Barrington is now looking at at least two years, perhaps as many as 20 in federal prison.

"It seems to me like another perfectly good life has been thrown away," said Barrington's attorney Robert Harper. "It's sad to see these young people get in trouble especially on this kind of conduct. In my day, it would have been a cheating incident and today it's a federal crime. I just don't understand what the difference is," Harper said.

Word of the guilty verdicts spread quickly across campus. Students we talked to gasped, but didn't have much sympathy for Barrington or his two co-defendants.

"I feel you shouldn't cheat your way through college. Everybody else puts in hard work, you shouldn't have to cheat," said FAMU student
Victor Vickers when he heard about the guilty verdicts.

"He didn't put effort into class, he put that effort into going in and changing his grades," FAMU student Mallorie Roberts said.

"I am kind of surprised that he wa found guilty though ... and that someone is going to try and do that anyways, but man, it's a bit much," said FAMU student Kaneisha Barr.

Co-defendants Lawrence Secrease and Christopher Jacquette, who already plead guilty in the case, will be sentenced April 20th.

Barrington will be sentenced June 8th and attorneys on both sides agree he'll likely face more prison time than the other two.

FAMU Spokeswoman Sharon Saunders says the university is glad that justice was served.

"We also feel that we have put some safeguards in place so that this would not happen again and this has made our security system stronger," Saunders said.

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Marcus Barrington has been found guilty in the FAMU grade changing federal trial.
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The jury is deliberating in the trial of a former FAMU student accused of hacking into the university computer system and changing hundreds of grades ...

The jury got the case at 10:30 this morning.

Marcus Barrington is on trial for conspiracy, computer fraud and identity theft in a grade-changing scheme in the fall of 2007.

In closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors this is hardly a harmless prank, and had it not been caught, it would have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The defense told jurors that Barrington was aware Lawrence Secrease and Christopher Jacquette were changing grades
but maintanined that he wasn't involved.

We have a crew at the courthouse and will bring you the verdict when it comes in.