Alleged International Credit Card Trafficker Arrested in France on U.S. Charges Related to Sale of Stolen Card Data

WASHINGTON—An international credit card trafficker thought to be one of the most prolific sellers of stolen data was arrested in Nice, France, on Aug. 7, 2010, on charges in an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. for the District of Columbia, and U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director for Investigations Michael Merritt.

Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, 27, aka “BadB” of Moscow, Russia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2009 on charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today, following Horohorin’s arrest by French authorities during the weekend.

“In just the last week, we’ve seen an alleged hacker extradited to the United States to face charges, and now, a credit card data dealer arrested abroad on U.S. charges,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. “Cyber criminals who target U.S citizens should not fool themselves into believing they can elude justice simply because they commit crimes outside of our borders. As this and so many other cases demonstrate, working hand in hand with our partners around the globe, we will do everything in our power to bring these criminals to the United States to answer for their alleged crimes.”

“Computer hackers and identity thieves threaten the security of millions of innocent Americans with their crimes. These criminals are mistaken to think that they can escape detection by committing their crimes behind a computer screen in a foreign country,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “The arrest and prosecution of Mr. Horohorin demonstrates that we will identify, apprehend, and bring to justice in the United States even the most sophisticated international computer hackers.”

“The network created by the founders of CarderPlanet, including Vladislav Horohorin, remains one of the most sophisticated organizations of online financial criminals in the world,” said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director for Investigations Michael Merritt. “This network has been repeatedly linked to nearly every major intrusion of financial information reported to the international law enforcement community. This arrest is an illustration of the success that comes from international law enforcement and private sector partnerships and confirms the Secret Service commitment to traversing the globe in pursuit of online criminals.”

According to the indictment, Horohorin was the subject of an undercover investigation by U.S. Secret Service agents. Horohorin, who is a citizen of Israel and the Ukraine, allegedly used online criminal forums such as “CarderPlanet” and “carder.su” to sell stolen credit card information, known as “dumps,” to online purchasers around the world. According to the indictment, Horohorin, using the online name “BadB,” advertised the availability of stolen credit card information through these web forums, and directed purchasers to create accounts at “dumps.name,” a fully-automated dumps vending website operated by Horohorin and hosted outside the United States. The website was designed to assist in the exchange of funds for the stolen credit card information. Horohorin allegedly directed buyers to fund their “dumps.name” account using funds transferred by services including “Webmoney,” an online currency service hosted in Russia. The purchaser would then access the “dumps.name” website and select the desired stolen credit card data. Using an online undercover identity, U.S. Secret Service agents negotiated the sale of numerous stolen credit card dumps.

French law enforcement authorities, working with the U.S. Secret Service, identified Horohorin in Nice, France, as he was attempting to board a flight to return to Moscow. Horohorin was arrested by French authorities on a provisional arrest warrant based upon the U.S. charges. He is currently being detained in France pending extradition to the United States.

Horohorin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the count of access device fraud. Horohorin is also charged with one count of aggravated identify theft, which carries a statutory consecutive penalty of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charges in an indictment are merely allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Joseph Springsteen of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. He also serves as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Leon also provided assistance in this case. Department of Justice Attaché Monique Roth of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance in this matter.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Key assistance was provided by the French Police Nationale Aux Frontiers and the Netherlands Police Agency National Crime Squad High Tech Crime Unit. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office also provided information which assisted in this investigation.