New Bedford Man Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Computer Hacking And Credit Card Theft

BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced today for hacking into computer networks around the country, including networks belonging to law enforcement agencies and a local college.

Cameron Lacroix, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf to four years in prison, and three years of supervised release. In June 2014, Lacroix pleaded guilty to two counts of computer intrusion and access device fraud.

Between May 2011 and May 2013, Lacroix illegally obtained and possessed payment card data for more than 14,000 account holders. For some of these account holders, Lacroix also unlawfully obtained other personally identifiable information. From August 2012 through November 2012, Lacroix repeatedly hacked into law enforcement computer servers containing sensitive information including police reports, intelligence reports, arrest warrants, and sex offender information. In September 2012, Lacroix hacked into a computer server operated by a local Massachusetts police department and accessed an e-mail account belonging to the chief of police.

Additionally, between September 2012 and November 2013, Lacroix, who was a student at Bristol Community College (BCC), repeatedly hacked into BCC’s computer servers and used stolen log-in credentials belonging to three instructors to change grades for himself and two other students.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California has also filed hacking charges against Lacroix. That case has been transferred to the District of Massachusetts and is before U.S. Chief Judge Saris.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Vincent B. Lisi, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bookbinder of Ortiz’s Cyber Crime Unit.