Aye, dishonesty does preclude you from going into many professions. You can be a drunk driver or a wife beater, but a fraud conviction will sink you.Trust is key in cyber security, and you simply can't trust someone who has committed such crimes.
Three years in prison would ruin high school, university and possibly the rest of his life; there is only one sane choice.I don't know what I would chose.
I know lawyers are paid to bleat on behalf of their clients, but this is hardly taking away an artist's brush. Cosmo hasn't done anything creative or constructive with his skills.