A hacker has pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and aggravated identity theft; which resulted in cumulative losses of $36 million.

U.S. Secret Service agents found 675,000 stolen credit card numbers and related information in the computers and email accounts of Rogelio Hackett Jr., 26, of Lithonia, Ga. Hackett has agreed to take a plea charge and cooperate with authorities. According to the court filing, Hackett is not taking a plea in exchange for testimony about anyone else, nor is the plea conditional on a reduced sentence.

Hackett said since at least 2002, he has been trafficking in credit card information obtained either by hacking into business computer networks and downloading credit card databases, or purchasing the information from others via the Internet through various carding forums.

Carding forums are underground online discussion groups used by hackers in the know to traffic in credit card and other personal identifying information. Hackett also told authorities he sold credit card information, manufactured and sold counterfeit plastic cards, and used the credit card information to acquire gift cards and merchandise.

Hackett will face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss on the access device fraud charge. There is an additional mandatory two years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the identity theft charge. Hackett will be sentenced on July 22.

Court Cybercrime Cybercrime Criminal Law