Hacker Pleads Guilty to $36 Million in Identity Theft Fraud

A hacker has pled guilty to credit card and identity theft fraud resulting in losses of more than $36 million, according to the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Rogelio Hackett, of Lithonia, Ga., pled guilty in Alexandria, Va., last Thursday to trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and aggravated identity theft. In a search warrant executed at Hackett’s house in June 2009, U.S. Secret Service agents found more than 675,000 stolen credit card numbers and related information stored on computers and in e-mail accounts, according to the DoJ.

Hackett admitted to trafficking in stolen credit card data since at least 2002. He obtained the card data by hacking into business databases and by purchasing the information through online forums that trade in stolen credit card and other data, according to the DoJ.

During the search, agents also found equipment to make counterfeit credit cards and more than 100 completed fake cards. In June 2009, Hackett sold 40 counterfeit cards to an undercover U.S. Secret Service agent, according to court documents.