A Georgia man who purchased stolen credit card data and other personal information through an identity theft and credit card fraud ring known as “Carder.su” was sentenced Wednesday to 115 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $50.8 million in restitution.
Cameron Harrison, aka “Kilobit,” 28, of Augusta, GA, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon. At his guilty plea hearing in April, Harrison admitted he became associated with the Carder.su organization in June 2008. According to Harrison’s admissions, Carder.su was an Internet-based, international criminal enterprise whose members trafficked in compromised credit card account data and counterfeit identifications and committed money laundering, narcotics trafficking and computer crimes.
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The ring was uncovered during a joint probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada.
“Cyber thieves created a real criminal organization through the virtual world of the Internet, stealing credit card data and relying on technology, perceived anonymity, and international borders to evade law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cameron Harrison made a living by using that stolen financial information. Applying time-honored techniques from mob and gang prosecutions to this new generation of cyber criminals, we were able to infiltrate and bring down the Carder.su ring.”
Harrison admitted the ring tried to protect the anonymity and the security of the enterprise from both rival organizations and law enforcement. For example, members communicated through various secure and encrypted forums, such as chatrooms, private messaging systems, encrypted email, proxies and encrypted virtual private networks, according to ICE. Gaining membership in the group required the recommendation of two current members in good standing.
“This significant sentence is entirely fitting given that this defendant’s actions and those of the larger criminal organization harmed countless innocent Americans and seriously compromised our financial system,” said Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Peter T. Edge. “Criminals like this defendant who believe they can elude detection by hiding behind their computer screens here and overseas are discovering that cyberspace affords no refuge from American justice. HSI will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to track down these violators and see that they face the full weight of the law.”
Harrison admitted he purchased compromised credit card account data and other personal identifying information from fellow Carder.su members. He further admitted possessing over 260 compromised credit and debit card numbers, which were recovered from his computer and email accounts following his arrest.
Harrison was identified when he purchased a counterfeit Georgia driver’s license from an undercover special agent through the Carder.su network. During interactions with the undercover special agent, Harrison admitted having been a vendor of counterfeit identifications in the defunct cyberfraud organization “ShadowCrew.”
Fifty-five individuals were charged in four separate indictments as part of Operation Open Market, which targeted the Carder.su organization. To date, 26 individuals have been convicted and the rest are either fugitives or are pending trial.
This prosecution is part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the inter-agency task force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.
