14 DAY TRIAL // The FBI announces that five more phishers arrested as part of Operation "Phish Phry" were convicted last week for their roles in an international phishing network dismantled in 2009.
The latest convictions of Nichole Michelle Merzi, 25, of Oceanside; Anthony Donnel Fuller, 22, of Corona; Me Arlene Settle, 22, of Garden Grover; Tramond S. Davis, 21, and Shontovia D. Debose, 22, both of Las Vegas, Nevada, raise the total number of people found guilty in this case to 46.
In total, 53 suspects were charged in the fall of 2009 for participating in a conspiracy that involved hackers based in Egypt and the fraudulent use of bank account information obtained through phishing.
Most of the 53 US-based suspects acted as money mules in the operation and were coordinated by three leaders, one of them being Nichole Michelle Merzi.
Merzi was was found guilty Friday of conspiracy, computer fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
The other two leaders, Kenneth Joseph Lucas, 26, and Jonathan Preston Clark, 26, both of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bank fraud, while Lucas also pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.
Of the remaining defendants two had charges against them dropped, one was found not guilty, one is a fugitive and one has agreed to plead guilty. The remaining two are awaiting trial.
The conspiracy and bank fraud counts carry maximum sentences of 30 years in prison, while the aggravated identity theft one adds a minimum of two years.
Operation "Phish Phry" led to charges against 100 individuals in U.S. and abroad, the largest number ever charged in a single cybercriminal case. The FBI was assisted in the investigation by the Los Angeles Electronic Crimes Task Force and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Special Investigations.