A judge has sentenced Jeremy Jaynes of Raleigh, North Carolina, to nine years in prison for violating anti-spam laws. Jaynes, 30, AKA "Gaven Stubberfield," sent out thousands of unsolicited e-mails using fake addresses, which prosecutors estimate brought in the spammer between US$500,000 and US$750,000 a month.

The conviction, under Virginia state anti-spam law marks the first time a person has been sentenced to a prison term in the United States for sending out unsolicited e-mails.

Jaynes remains free on a $1 million bond while the case is appealed.

Jaynes was convicted in November, and at the time of his arrest, he was considered one of the top 10 spammers in the world.

Authorities believe Jaynes was sending out as many as 10 million e-mails a day.