14 DAY TRIAL // Miami police revealed details about a criminal case from 2015 during which officers arrested an Iranian national studying in the US for stealing reward air miles from American Airlines customers worth $260,000.
The suspect's name is Milad Avadzavani, a former Florida International University student, who was arrested last year and is preparing to face trial this summer.
According to Miami police, Avadzavani stole air miles rewards from at least six American Airlines customers and used the benefits to buy airplane tickets, rent hotel rooms, and rent cars in various cities such as Miami, Denver, Tampa, and Dubai.
Police traced the hacking back to his IP address
Police say that Avadzavani hacked into the accounts of American Airlines clients, changed their passwords, and booked flights, hotel rooms, and rented cars in the name Milad Avaz. Investigators say this happened numerous times, and all attacks led back to the same IP address.
American Airlines suffered similar incidents in the past, and by the time Avadzavani hacked into customer accounts, it already had security protections in place, which alerted customers when their account's email address changed.
The company says that it canceled most of the airplane tickets and hotel rooms, but it appears that Avadzavani managed to pick up some of the cars he rented.
Police found the hacker in possession of credit cards in other people's names
Police arrested Avadzavani after they tracked one of the rented cars, a BMW Z4, back to a room which the suspect rented, Miami Herald reports.
The home's owner let police in, who arrested Avadzavani. They also found 150 grams of marijuana in his room, along with several credit cards in other people's names.
Avadzavani claims that police did not have a warrant to search his room and that he was set up. He claims that a man of his intelligence would not carry out such hacks using his real name. Avadzavani is also fighting to prevent getting deported, claiming he is an Ashkenazi Jew, and he'll face persecution in his home country of Iran.
He now stands to face trial for 19 charges that range from fraudulent use of someone’s identity to grand theft, and from organized scheme to defraud up to various computer offenses.