Well I believe you and I think your very smart friend deserves reinstatement.

But I'm going to be cruel now and tell you the truth about the world you live in. People will stab you for a quarter. You are not living in a nice honest society. At least it was only a game - this time. Use this and learn from it. I know of people sitting in jail who didn't do the crime. I know a man who had his children taken from him because someone suspected him of something. He was later proven to be not guilty but the children were in adopted care and the court chose not to unsettle them. Do you understand? It is NOT SAFE TO BE GOOD AND HONEST. You have to be ready to pay the price when you do what it right. That means Caesar will feed you to the lions if you don't lie to him. And everyone will applaud while you're being torn from limb to limb. Except for about three spectators in the stands who will cry. Most people are evil/stupid and want to watch a burning.

I'm not one of them.

Take your knowledge and grow from it. Tell your hacker friend to use his gift to build a better world for those three people. Good luck both of you.