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Press Release

New Hampshire Man Charged in Financial Fraud Scheme Using Stolen Identities

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was charged today in federal court in Boston in connection with engaging in a complex scheme to conduct fraudulent financial transactions using stolen account information and other personally identifiable information (PII) of victims in Massachusetts and elsewhere throughout the United States. 

Jonathan Nguyen, 23, of Windham, N.H., was charged with conspiring to engage in wire fraud, access-device fraud and identity theft.

According to the charging document, Nguyen and others involved in the scheme used Bitcoin to purchase names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, email addresses and passwords as well as credit card account numbers, expiration dates, card verification values and other forms of PII. Nguyen and others then used this information to purchase tickets to sporting events and gift cards that Nguyen sold for profit. Nguyen also created e-commerce websites for sham companies and obtained payment-card processing capabilities for these sham companies in order to cash out the stolen credit cards. He used various technological means to thwart the fraud-detection mechanisms deployed by the internet merchants where he made purchases with the stolen PII.   

The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access-device fraud, and identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. D’Addio of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations.  The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Updated May 26, 2020

Topic
Cybercrime