14 DAY TRIAL // Back in 2004, US authorities managed to dismantle the Shadowcrew forum, a highly popular online marketplace dedicated to identity theft and hacking. At the time, it was determined that the forum caused losses of over $4 million (€3 million) to organizations that issued credit cards.
A total of 19 individuals from all over the world were charged and many of them arrested. Only a handful managed to escape.
In June 2011, one of those who evaded authorities, 30-year-old Bulgarian national Aleksi Kolarov, was arrested in Paraguay. Now, he has been extradited to the US where he faces charges of conspiracy, transferring false identification documents, and offering access device without authorization.
Prosecutors allege that Kolarov participated in the operation of Shadowcrew by acting as a vendor – selling illegal merchandise and services to other members.
When he was arrested, police found in his possession hundreds of thousands of dollars in various currencies, counterfeit payment cards, and devices that he used to re-encode the cards.
If found guilty, Kolarov could be sentenced to a maximum of 5 years in prison on the conspiracy count, 10 years on the access device count, and up to 15 years for the identification documents count.
“Aleksi Kolorov is charged with conspiring in the most notorious online cybercrime marketplace of its time, selling the means to steal money and identities to other criminals,” said New Jersey US Attorney Paul J. Fishman
“This extradition shows that hiding behind computers and borders does not deter us. It is vital that law enforcement work internationally to bring cybercriminals to justice, no matter how long it takes.”
Currently, of the other 19 suspects charged in the indictment, three are still at large.
“The arrest and extradition of Aleksi Kolarov to the United States demonstrates the outstanding investigative abilities and steadfast commitment of the Secret Service to protect our nation’s financial infrastructure from unlawful acts committed by cyber-criminals on our homeland,” commented Special Agent in Charge James Mottola of the US Secret Service, Newark Field Office.