An international credit card trafficker thought to be one of the most prolific sellers of stolen data was arrested in Nice, France, on Aug. 7, 2010, on charges in an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia.
Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, 27, aka “BadB” of Moscow, Russia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2009 on charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today, following Horohorin’s arrest by French authorities during the weekend.
According to the indictment, Horohorin was the subject of an undercover investigation by U.S. Secret Service agents. Horohorin, who is a citizen of Israel and the Ukraine, allegedly used online criminal forums such as “CarderPlanet” and “carder.su” to sell stolen credit card information, known as “dumps,” to online purchasers around the world. According to the indictment, Horohorin, using the online name “BadB,” advertised the availability of stolen credit card information through these web forums, and directed purchasers to create accounts at “dumps.name,” a fully-automated dumps vending website operated by Horohorin and hosted outside the United States. The website was designed to assist in the exchange of funds for the stolen credit card information. Horohorin allegedly directed buyers to fund their “dumps.name” account using funds transferred by services including “Webmoney,” an online currency service hosted in Russia. The purchaser would then access the “dumps.name” website and select the desired stolen credit card data. Using an online undercover identity, U.S. Secret Service agents negotiated the sale of numerous stolen credit card dumps.
French law enforcement authorities, working with the U.S. Secret Service, identified Horohorin in Nice, France, as he was attempting to board a flight to return to Moscow. Horohorin was arrested by French authorities on a provisional arrest warrant based upon the U.S. charges. He is currently being detained in France pending extradition to the United States.
Horohorin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the count of access device fraud. Horohorin is also charged with one count of aggravated identify theft, which carries a statutory consecutive penalty of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice