$17M IT Worker Fraud: Arizona Woman Sentenced for Aiding North Korea

Key Points

1. Christina Marie Chapman, 50, pleaded guilty on February 11th in a case involving identity theft and fraud benefiting North Korean IT workers.

2. Chapman was sentenced to 102 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $284,555.92 intended for North Korean workers.

3. The scheme exploited over 300 American citizens and involved stolen identities from U.S. Fortune 500 companies.

4. DPRK workers used fraudulent means to secure jobs in the U.S., bypassing employment checks with the help of collaborators on U.S. soil.

5. Chapman forged payroll checks and funneled wages to North Korea, with over 90 laptops seized in connection to the case.

6. The IRS and other law enforcement agencies tracked and dismantled the elaborate scheme, emphasizing the consequences of identity theft.