Cybercriminal receives four years behind bars for selling compromised credit card informaiton.
John Telusma, 37 (also known as “Peterlliot”) of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to four years behind bars this month for purchasing stolen credit cards or compromised credit card data and helping other members of the Infraud Organization to make a profit. Created in Ukraine in 2010 by Svyatoslav Bondarenko, the Infraud Organization was a transnational cybercrime enterprise which acquired and sold illegal eCommerce items such as individual’s identities, credit cards, malware, and other contraband. It was taken down by federal authorities in 2018.
“[Infraud] was the premier one-stop shop for cybercriminals worldwide,” explained Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Rybicki at the time of its takedown. It had just under 11,000 approved “members” during its peak who were registered to buy and sell on its marketplace and operated under the company’s motto “In Fraud We Trust.”
“Infraud operated like a business to facilitate cyberfraud on a global scale,” added Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan.
Members of the Organization would develop and deploy malware to decrypt password-protected personal information that could be sold on the marketplace. Its members also obtained and sold more than four million stolen credit and debit card numbers, costing its victims greater than $568 million dollars.
Telusma pleaded guilty in the District of Nevada to “one count of racketeering conspiracy” back in fall of last year. Racketeering is a type of federal crime in which money is extorted by threat or force. Documents show “the defendant joined the Infraud Organization in August 2011, maintaining his membership for five and a half years. Telusma was among the most prolific and active members of the Infraud Organization, purchasing and fraudulently using compromised credit card numbers for his own personal gain.”
More than a dozen other members of the illicit organization have been indicted for their involvement. Federal authorities have captured individuals from all over the world, including the United States, France, Britain, Egypt, Pakistan, Kosovo, Serbia, Bangladesh, Canada and Australia. Only some have been sentenced to date. These are:
“Infraud co-founder Sergey Medvedev, 34, also known as “Stells”, of Russia, who was sentenced to a decade behind bars;
Malware developer Valerian Chiochiu, 32, also known as “Onassis,” of California, who was sentenced to ten years in prison;
VIP Member Arnaldo Sanchez Torteya, 35, also known as “Elroncoluna,” of Mexico, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
VIP Member Edgar Rojas, 31 also known as “Guapo,” of Venezuela, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
ATM skimmer Jose Gamboa, 35, also known as “Rafael101,” of California, who was sentenced to eight years in prison; and
VIP Member Pius Wilson, 35 also known as “FDIC,” of New York, who was sentenced to seven years in prison.”
Law enforcement has warned that there are still other members at-large, and authorities are pursuing all creditable leads that result in their capture.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement regarding Telusma’s sentencing. Alexander Gottfried of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.
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