A member of an international identity theft ring was sentenced to more than seven-and-a-half years in prison this week for his role in a scheme to hack bank accounts.
Oleg Pidtergerya of Brooklyn, N.Y. previously pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and identity theft. He and two suspected conspirators are accused of trying to steal $15 million by accessing accounts at JP Morgan Chase, PayPal, Citibank and other firms.
{mosads}The sentencing comes as U.S. law enforcement seeks to crack down on hackers and identity thieves who operate online. Pidtergerya will also face three years of supervised release, according to reports, and a restitution payment of $1.76 million.
Pidtergerya allegedly helped two Ukranian men in their hacking scheme by making purchases with stolen money. He “admitted he was aware fraudulent accounts and cards were created without the consent of the individuals in whose names they were opened and coordinating ATM and bank withdrawals of the stolen funds,” NJ.com reported.