Florida Man Sentenced To 73 Months In Prison For Leading Stolen Credit Card Trafficking Ring Involving More Than 114,000 Accounts And Losses Of $23 Million

NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced today to 73 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess and traffic stolen credit card data held by New Jersey residents, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

Miguel Gonzalez, 43, of Miami, Florida, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between January 2010 and July 2013, Gonzalez obtained and possessed stolen credit card data for more than 114,000 credit card accounts. Gonzalez purchased the stolen credit card information from various vendors who advertise and transmit the data over the Internet using email and instant chat software. These vendors sold stolen credit card data obtained from network intrusions into various corporate victims, including major retailers in the state of New Jersey. The stolen credit card data was used by Gonzalez and others to create counterfeit credit cards, which were used to enter into unauthorized and fraudulent transactions. The credit card issuers associated with the more than 114,000 stolen credit card accounts suffered a combined loss of more than $23 million.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Gonzalez to five years of supervised release, fined him $100,000 and ordered him to forfeit a number of items, including a house, boat, car and $30,000 in jewelry.

Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Murphy, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes Unit, and Dara Aquila Govan.

Defense counsel: Ricardo P. Hermida Esq., Miami