An American has been sent to prison for two years for bringing down his former employer’s wireless internet service.

Ryan Fisher, 24, of Utah was sent down by the District Court for Utah after he caused 170 customers of SBT Internet and another carrier to lose their wireless internet connections for up to three weeks, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.

The presiding Judge, Paul G. Cassell added a further three years probation for “intentionally damaging a protected computer”, the DOJ said. Fisher, who was charged by the FBI with the crime in February was also ordered to pay $65,000 (£33,213) in “restitution”, the DOJ said.

Detailing Fisher’s case, the DOJ said he left SBT following a business dispute. He later went on to work for, and eventually own, another service provider in the area. He then used SBT’s own passwords to take control of its wireless network, reprogramming its customers’ access points to disrupt their service, the DOJ said.

According to the DOJ one customer was relying on e-mail for news of an organ donor.