Infraud transnational cyber crime group members jailed in US federal prison

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has sentenced two members of the Infraud transnational cyber crime group to federal prison.

The US DOJ handed down a 10-year prison sentence to 32-year-old malware developer Valerian Chiochiu, aka Onassis and an eight-year prison sentence to 35-year-old ATM skimmer Jose Gamboa, aka Rafael101.

Infraud was an international cyber crime organisation that had been involved in stealing online information for over seven years during its peak according to US DOJ documents. Operating between 2010 to 2018, the cyber crime collective had over 10,000 "members" that operated under the slogan "In Fraud We Trust" according to court documents.

The Californians have been accused of defrauding victims of more than half a billion dollars while working with a New York man and a number of foreign nationals outside of the US.

According to the DOJ, the Infraud Organization is responsible for the purchase and sale of over four million stolen credit and debit card numbers.

"This scheme cost victims more than $568 million dollars," the DOJ said in a statement.

According to KDRV ABC 12, Brooklyn-based John Telusma, aka Peterelliot, was sentenced last week after the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy on 13 October 2021 in the District of Nevada. Court documents have revealed that Telusma joined Infraud in 2011 and had been a member of the group for five years.

Telusma is the 14th defendant held accountable for the Infraud scheme according to the DOJ:

Infraud co-founder Sergey Medvedev, 34, aka Stells, of Russia, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison;
Malware developer Valerian Chiochiu, 32, aka Onassis, of California, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison;
VIP member Arnaldo Sanchez Torteya, 35, aka Elroncoluna, of Mexico, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
VIP member Edgar Rojas, 31, aka Guapo, of Venezuela, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
ATM skimmer Jose Gamboa, 35, aka Rafael101, of California, who was sentenced to eight years in prison; and
VIP member Pius Wilson, 35, aka FDIC, of New York, who was sentenced to seven years in prison.

"Telusma was among the most prolific and active members of the Infraud organisation, purchasing and fraudulently using compromised credit card numbers for his own personal gain," the DOJ said.