Fake boarding pass site creator goes free

The college student who created a Web site that let people make fake airline boarding passes has said he won't face any criminal charges.

"They've stopped the investigation, due to a lack of evidence of criminal intent on my part," Christopher Soghoian wrote on his blog Tuesday, talking about the investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

"They've given me back my passports, my computers, and I'll be getting the rest of my stuff back shortly. Essentially, I'm a free man--with no charges filed," he wrote.

FBI agents raided Soghoian's home late last month and his Web site was taken down. The site let anyone with an Internet connection and a printer create fake Northwest Airlines boarding passes.

While happy that this episode is behind him, Soghoian notes that it has not improved airport security. It is still possible to use fraudulent boarding passes to get into airports and onto airplanes because it is possible to fly without an ID, he notes.

"Sure, you will be subjected to a more vigorous search, but if your aim is to bypass the no-fly list, then you'll have succeeded in your goal," Soghoian wrote. "The domestic no-fly list and the ability to fly without ID simply cannot co-exist."