A Georgia man who purchased stolen credit card data and other personal information through the identity theft and credit card fraud ring known as “Carder.su” was sentenced today to serve 115 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to pay $50.8 million in restitution.
Cameron Harrison, aka “Kilobit,” 28, of Augusta, Georgia, admitted at his guilty plea hearing that 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. Harrison admitted that the group 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 encypted forums, such as chatrooms, private messaging systems, encrypted email, proxies and encypted virtual private networks. Gaining membership in the group required the recommendation of two current members in good standing.
Harrison admitted that he purchased compromised credit card account data and other personal identifying information from fellow Carder.su members. He further admitted to 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 to having been a vendor of counterfeit identifications in the defunct cyberfraud organization “ShadowCrew.”
Fifty-five individuals were charged in four separate indictments in 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. Harrison pleaded guilty in April 2014 to participating in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization, conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization, and trafficking in and production of false identification documents.
The cases were investigated by HSI and the U.S. Secret Service, and are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Jonathan Ophardt of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Frayn and Andrew W. Duncan of the District of Nevada.
SOURCE: Department of Justice