A federal indictment was unsealed Wednesday charging 36 individuals for their alleged roles in the Infraud Organization.
Infraud is an Internet-based cybercriminal enterprise engaged in the large-scale acquisition, sale and dissemination of stolen identities, compromised debit and credit cards, personally identifiable information, financial and banking information, computer malware, and other contraband.
Following the return of a nine-count superseding indictment by a Las Vegas grand jury alleging racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, federal, state, local, and international law enforcement authorities arrested 13 defendants from the United States and six countries: Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Kosovo and Serbia.
According to the indictment, the Infraud Organization was created in October 2010 by Svyatoslav Bondarenko aka “Obnon,” aka “Rector,” aka “Helkern,” 34, of Ukraine, to promote and grow interest in the Infraud Organization as the premier destination for carding—purchasing retail items with counterfeit or stolen credit card information—on the Internet.
Under the slogan, “In Fraud We Trust,” the organization directed traffic and potential purchasers to the automated vending sites of its members, which served as online conduits to traffic in stolen means of identification, stolen financial and banking information, malware, and other illicit goods. It also provided an escrow service to facilitate illicit digital currency transactions among its members and employed screening protocols that purported to ensure only high quality vendors of stolen cards, personally identifiable information, and other contraband were permitted to advertise to members.
According to the indictment, Infraud members held defined roles within the organization’s hierarchy. “Administrators” managed day-to-day operation of and strategic planning for the organization, approved and monitored membership, and meted out punishments and rewards to members. “Super Moderators” oversaw and administered specific subject-matter areas within their expertise. “Moderators” moderated one or two specific sub-forums within their areas of subject-matter expertise. “Vendors” sold illicit products and services to Infraud members. Finally, “VIP Members” and “Members” used the Infraud forum to gather information and to facilitate their criminal activities. As of March 2017, there were 10,901 registered members of the Infraud Organization.
During the course of its seven-year history, the Infraud Organization inflicted approximately $2.2 billion in intended losses, and more than $530 million in actual losses, on a wide swath of financial institutions, merchants, and private individuals, and would have continued to do so for the foreseeable future if left unchecked.
The defendants indicted for their alleged roles in the Infraud Organization’s transnational racketeering conspiracy include:
- Svyatoslav Bondarkeno of Ukraine
- Amjad Ali aka “Amjad Ali Chaudary,” aka “RedruMZ,” aka “Amjad Chaudary,” 35, of Pakistan
- Roland Patrick N’Djimbi Tchikaya aka “Darker,” aka “dark3r.cvv,” 37, of France
- Miroslav Kovacevic aka “Goldjunge,” 32, of Serbia
- Frederick Thomas aka “Mosto,” aka “1stunna,” aka “Bestssn,” 37, of Alabama
- Osama Abdelhamed aka “MrShrnofr,” aka “DrOsama,” aka “DrOsama1,” 27, of Egypt
- Besart Hoxha aka “Pizza,” 25, of Kosovo
- Raihan Ahmed aka “Chan,” aka “Cyber Hacker,” aka “Mae Tony,” aka “Tony,” 26, of Bangladesh
- Andrey Sergeevich Novak aka “Unicc,” aka “Faaxxx,” aka “Faxtrod” of the Russian Federation
- Valerian Chiochiu aka “Onassis,” aka “Flagler,” aka “Socrate,” aka “Eclessiastes,” 28, of Moldova
- John Doe #8 aka “Aimless88”
- Gennaro Fioretti aka “DannyLogort,” aka “Genny Fioretti,” 56, of Italy
- Edgar Rojas aka “Edgar Andres Viloria Rojas,” aka “Guapo,” aka “Guapo1988,” aka “Onlyshop,” 27, of Australia
- John Telusma aka “John Westley Telusma,” aka “Peterelliot,” aka “Pete,” aka “Pette,” 33, of Brooklyn, New York
- Rami Fawaz aka “Rami Imad Fawaz,” aka “Validshop,” aka “Th3d,” aka “Zatcher,” aka “Darkeyes,” 26, of Ivory Coast
- Muhammad Shiraz aka “Moviestar,” aka “Leslie” of Pakistan
- Jose Gamboa aka “Jose Gamboa-Soto,” aka “Rafael Garcia,” aka “Rafael101,” aka “Memberplex2006” aka “Knowledge,” 29, of Los Angeles, California
- Alexey Klimenko aka “Grandhost,” 34, of Ukraine
- Edward Lavoile aka “Eddie Lavoie,” aka “Skizo,” aka “Eddy Lavoile,” 29, of Canada
- Anthony Nnamdi Okeakpu aka “Aslike1,” aka “Aslike,” aka “Moneymafia,” aka “Shilonng,” 29, of the United Kingdom
- Pius Sushil Wilson aka “FDIC,” aka “TheRealGuru,” aka “TheRealGuruNYC,” aka “RealGuru,” aka “Po1son,” aka “1nfection,” aka “1nfected,” 31, of Flushing, New York
- Muhammad Khan aka “CoolJ2,” aka “CoolJ,” aka “Secureroot,” aka “Secureroot1,” aka “Secureroot2,” aka “Mohammed Khan,” 41, of Pakistan
- John Doe #7 aka “Muad’Dib
- John Doe #1 aka “Carlitos,” aka “TonyMontana
- David Jonathan Vargas aka “Cashmoneyinc,” aka “Avb,” aka “Poony,” aka “Renegade11,” aka “DvdSVrgs,” 33, of San Diego, California
- John Doe #2
- Marko Leopard aka “Leopardmk,” 28, of Macedonia
- John Doe #4 aka “Best4Best,” aka “Wazo,” aka “Modmod,” aka “Alone1,” aka“Shadow,” aka “Banderas,” aka “Banadoura”
- Liridon Musliu aka “Ccstore,” aka “Bowl,” aka “Hulk,” 26, of Kosovo
- John Doe #5 aka “Deputat,” aka “Zo0mer”
- Mena Mouries Abd El-Malak aka “Mina Morris,” aka “Source,” aka “Mena2341,” aka “MenaSex,” 34, of Egypt
- John Doe #6 aka “Goldenshop,”aka “Malov”
In addition, Novak and “Goldenshop” are charged with three counts each and “Deputat” and Musliu one count each of possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized access devices.
The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation conducted by the Las Vegas Office of Homeland Security Investigations; the Henderson Police Department; the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
