BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Terrance Michael Ciszek a/k/a DrMonster, 34, of Buffalo, NY, with possession of unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and making a false statement to an agency of the United States, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the cases, stated that since August 2018, the FBI has been investigating an illicit online marketplace known as Genesis Market, whose operators compile stolen data, such as computer and mobile device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords, from malware-infected computers around the globe and package it for sale on the market. Purchases made through Genesis Market are conducted using virtual currency, such as bitcoin.
According to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, between March 16 and July 29, 2020, Ciszek, a Buffalo Police Detective, purchased 11 packages on Genesis Market that included 194 stolen account credentials. Investigators also determined that Ciszek had bitcoin wallet addresses associated with UniCC, a dark web carding website. Carding websites are illicit marketplaces and/or forums used to share stolen credit card data and discuss techniques for obtaining credit card data, validating it, and using it for criminal activity. On April 15, 2020, Ciszek recorded a video explaining to others how he anonymized his identity on the internet when purchasing stolen credit cards, and described his use of UniCC. In the video, he stated, among other things, “And then I usually get my credit cards from UniCC, which is an amazing place if you guys don’t have it.”
On April 4, 2023, Ciszek is accused of making false statements to the FBI, claiming that he had not purchased stolen credentials from the internet, and further stating that his nephew may have been responsible for the online purchase of stolen credentials.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York