(Bloomberg) — A former St. Louis Cardinals scouting director pleaded guilty to hacking into the Houston Astros' "Ground Control" database to steal private reports and player trade details, according to U.S. Justice Department.

Chris Correa left the Cardinals in midseason last year after a criminal probe into the breaches of the Astros' front-office computers came to light in June. The hacks were first reported by the website Deadspin, which posted stacks of leaked Astros trading documents.

"Unauthorized computer intrusion is not to be taken lightly," U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson in Houston said in a statement. "Whether it's preserving the sanctity of America's pastime or protecting trade secrets, those that unlawfully gain proprietary information by accessing computers without authorization must be held accountable for their illegal actions."

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