Simon Kaura, a Nigerian national deported from the United Kingdom, was sentenced in a U.S. federal court for his involvement in a global conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the dark web.
The sentencing marks a crucial victory in the fight against cybercrime, shedding light on the sophisticated operations of cybercriminal networks.
Five-Year Sentence for Cyber Fraud
U.S. District Judge Greg Kays sentenced Kaura to five years in federal prison without parole. The court found that Kaura’s criminal activities resulted in an intended financial loss of $6,338,500.
On May 22, 2024, Kaura pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of access device fraud.
According to court documents, Kaura admitted to being part of an extensive global network that obtained and sold stolen financial information on darknet markets.
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Operating under various online aliases such as “apples,” “applepiecards,” “cartman,” and “dpharoah,” Kaura played a pivotal role in creating and administering these illicit marketplaces.
These platforms functioned similarly to conventional e-commerce sites but were dedicated to criminal activities, primarily dealing in stolen financial data and other illegal contraband.
Global Reach of Cybercrime Network
Kaura and his co-conspirators were prominent vendors in the “carding” community, using monikers like “ggmccloud” and “ggmccloud1” across multiple darknet markets.
Their operations spanned from February 22, 2016, to October 1, 2019, involving thousands of illegal transactions worldwide.
The stolen financial information they trafficked belonged to victims from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The conspiracy also saw the creation of their darknet market named Skynet. From April 2016 to October 2019, Skynet offered stolen financial data and other contraband for sale while providing a platform for cybercriminals globally to communicate and collaborate.
Ongoing Efforts Against Cybercrime
Kaura’s sentencing follows that of his co-defendant Taylor Ross Staats from Texas, who received an 18-month prison sentence earlier this year.
Staats’s role involved verifying the usability of stolen payment cards before listing them for sale on darknet markets.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are actively pursuing the forfeiture of over $4.5 million in criminal proceeds from these activities.
The case highlights the collaborative efforts between international law enforcement agencies. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked alongside UK authorities to secure Kaura’s extradition.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle, Matthew Blackwood, and John Constance and Trial Attorneys Michael Christin and Louisa Becker from the DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, underscores the ongoing commitment to dismantling cybercrime networks.
The FBI led the investigation that culminated in these significant legal victories against cybercriminals exploiting the anonymity of the dark web.
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