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Press Release

Defendant Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Intentional Destruction of Data, Credit Card Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft

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

A former Davie resident has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for intentionally damaging a protected computer belonging to his former employer and making unauthorized purchases with credit card numbers belonging to others.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.

 

In April 2017, a jury convicted Jonathan Lee Eubanks, 29, of one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization, one count of access device fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. According to testimony presented at trial, Eubanks worked for a private security company. After resigning from the company, Eubanks repeatedly accessed his former employer’s computer system, without authorization, using remote access software that he had surreptitiously installed on a co-worker’s computer. Through this remote access software, on January 27, 2013, Eubanks deleted all of the files on one of the company’s computer servers, including databases of client and employee information and files necessary for scheduling and tracking employee shifts. He also re-directed the company’s website, so that visitors were instead connected to the website of a competing security firm. The following day, Eubanks used the email account of a former co-worker to send multiple emails in that former co-worker’s name to the company’s employees and clients disparaging the company and accusing it of illegal practices. Several weeks later, Eubanks placed a series of online orders using credit cards and names belonging to three other individuals. The evidence presented at trial showed that Eubanks had obtained these credit card numbers by accessing the computers of another company, which made software for use by private security firms. The online orders sought rifle scopes, survivalist gear, and electronics.

 

Senior United States District Judge James I. Cohn, sentenced Eubanks to a total of 84 months in prison. The sentence consisted of 60 months for intentionally damaging a protected computer and access device fraud, followed by a consecutive term of 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft.

 

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Louisa K. Marion, of the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, prosecuted this case.

 

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Updated June 30, 2017

Topics
Financial Fraud
Identity Theft