The U.S. Justice Department has indicted 28-year-old Miami resident
Albert Gonzales of masterminding the biggest credit card number heist
in history.
Gonzales is accused of stealing more than 130 million credit and debit
card numbers from 2006 to 2008. He did not act alone, and two
unidentified conspirators from Russia were also involved. It is still
unclear how many of the card numbers were sold online, and if all the
cards' owners were informed of the theft.
This is not the first time Gonzales had a run in with the law. In 2005
he was charged with other credit card thefts, including a breach at
T.J. Maxx stores. He is also awaiting trial in New York for a separate
attack.
Oddly enough, at one point in 2003 Gonzales was working with federal
authorities to help find his former conspirators, but he eventually
reverted to crime. According to some reports, his life of crime was
working out rather well, and one one occasion Gonzales spent $75,000
for a birthday bash in Miami. He complained that he had to count
thousands of $20 bills when his counting machine broke.
He is facing up to 35 years in prison and more than $1 million in
fines, so you could say he will pay for his deed, with interest. His
Russian co-conspirators could face a similar fate, provided they are
ever identified.
More
here.