Western District of Missouri Defendants Sentenced for Global Darknet Conspiracy United States Department of Justice
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ppKANSAS CITY Mo A citizen of Nigeria who was extradited from the United Kingdom was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the worldppSimon Kaura was sentenced by US District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole At sentencing the court found that Kauras crimes resulted in an intended loss of 6338500ppOn 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 a sophisticated global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets including a market he helped create and administer with his coconspirators Kaura operated under the online monikers apples applepiecards cartman and dpharoahppKaura and his coconspirators operated as prominent carding stolen financial information vendors sometimes under the moniker brand ggmccloud and ggmccloud1 on multiple darknet markets Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information The markets operated much like conventional ecommerce websites except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature Each market required users to transact in digital currencies such as Bitcoin These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraudppKaura and his coconspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other coconspirators to check organize and sell on numerous darknet markets Kaura and his coconspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states the District of Columbia Australia Canada and the United Kingdom Kaura and his coconspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb 22 2016 to Oct 1 2019ppDuring the conspiracy Kaura and his coconspirators also created launched and administered their own darknet market Skynet From April 2016 to October 2019 the coconspirators market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes ppCodefendant Taylor Ross Staats 41 of Texas was sentenced on Jan 25 2024 to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud Staatss main role in the conspiracy was to determine prior to being advertised for sale whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use If so he organized the card information and it was posted for sale on the darknet Staats operated under the online moniker f9ac4ppThe US Attorneys Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than 45 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the coconspirators crimesppThe Justice Departments Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom to secure the arrest and extradition of KaurappThis case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Nicholas Heberle Matthew Blackwood and John Constance of the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Michael Christin and Louisa Becker from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice It was investigated by the FBIppA Kansas City Mo man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for hacking into the computer systems at an area nonprofit and a health club businessppA Lees Summit Mo man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for robbing an Independence Mo bank after a bank customer attempted to stop him from fleeingppA Jefferson City Mo man was sentenced in federal court today for a multimillion dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program PPP loans for four businessesppWestern District of Missouri
US Attorneys Office
Room 5510
400 East 9th Street
Kansas City MO 64106ppEmail USAOWDMOppTelephone 816 4263122
Fax Line 816 4264210pp pp pp ppStay ConnectedppppHave a question about Government Servicesp
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ppKANSAS CITY Mo A citizen of Nigeria who was extradited from the United Kingdom was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in a conspiracy to sell stolen financial information on the darknet from tens of thousands of victims from around the worldppSimon Kaura was sentenced by US District Judge Greg Kays to five years in federal prison without parole At sentencing the court found that Kauras crimes resulted in an intended loss of 6338500ppOn 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 a sophisticated global conspiracy to obtain and sell stolen financial information on darknet markets including a market he helped create and administer with his coconspirators Kaura operated under the online monikers apples applepiecards cartman and dpharoahppKaura and his coconspirators operated as prominent carding stolen financial information vendors sometimes under the moniker brand ggmccloud and ggmccloud1 on multiple darknet markets Each market allowed users to buy and sell stolen and fraudulent financial information The markets operated much like conventional ecommerce websites except that the goods sold on the markets were primarily criminal in nature Each market required users to transact in digital currencies such as Bitcoin These sites enabled users to distribute illegal contraband to buyers throughout the world to perpetrate fraudppKaura and his coconspirators obtained large quantities of stolen financial information and passed it along to other coconspirators to check organize and sell on numerous darknet markets Kaura and his coconspirators possessed card information belonging to victims from all 50 states the District of Columbia Australia Canada and the United Kingdom Kaura and his coconspirators were responsible for conducting tens of thousands of illegal transactions on darknet markets from Feb 22 2016 to Oct 1 2019ppDuring the conspiracy Kaura and his coconspirators also created launched and administered their own darknet market Skynet From April 2016 to October 2019 the coconspirators market offered stolen financial information and other contraband for sale The market also hosted a messaging forum and private messaging service allowing cybercriminals from around the world to meet and communicate freely about their crimes ppCodefendant Taylor Ross Staats 41 of Texas was sentenced on Jan 25 2024 to 18 months in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud Staatss main role in the conspiracy was to determine prior to being advertised for sale whether the stolen payment cards were still active and capable of use If so he organized the card information and it was posted for sale on the darknet Staats operated under the online moniker f9ac4ppThe US Attorneys Office and the Department of Justice continue to seek forfeiture of more than 45 million in criminal proceeds resulting from the coconspirators crimesppThe Justice Departments Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom to secure the arrest and extradition of KaurappThis case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Nicholas Heberle Matthew Blackwood and John Constance of the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Michael Christin and Louisa Becker from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice It was investigated by the FBIppA Kansas City Mo man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for hacking into the computer systems at an area nonprofit and a health club businessppA Lees Summit Mo man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for robbing an Independence Mo bank after a bank customer attempted to stop him from fleeingppA Jefferson City Mo man was sentenced in federal court today for a multimillion dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program PPP loans for four businessesppWestern District of Missouri
US Attorneys Office
Room 5510
400 East 9th Street
Kansas City MO 64106ppEmail USAOWDMOppTelephone 816 4263122
Fax Line 816 4264210pp pp pp ppStay ConnectedppppHave a question about Government Servicesp
