A 28-year-old man from Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced on Thursday to 115 months in a federal prison for buying stolen credit card data and personal information through an underground carding forum. He was also ordered by the court to pay $50.8 / €40.8 million in restitution.

Identified as Cameron Harrison, the cybercrook pleaded guilty at a court hearing in April, admitting his association with an underground marketplace for trading identity theft and credit card fraud information known as Carder.su; the forum was also involved in money laundering, narcotics trafficking and computer crimes.

Illegal marketplace strived to preserve its anonymity

Harrison used the alias “Kilobit” in the online environment and was identified after purchasing a fake driver’s license from an undercover agent through the Carder.su network.

That was when he said that he had been part of the ShadowCrew group that engaged in cyber fraud activities between 2002 and 2004.

In an action dubbed Operation Open Market in October 2012, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and the US Secret Service cooperated to bring down the Carder.su forum. As a result, 55 people have been charged. According to a statement from the Department of Justice, “26 individuals have been convicted and the rest are either fugitives or are pending trial.”

Carder.su united a closed group of individuals, who tried to carry out their activities under the radar, taking safety measures such as communicating through encrypted channels.

Getting into the group required the recommendation of two current members. This is far from being an uncommon practice in the case of cybercriminal organizations.

Heavy sentence also stands as a warning for others

At the time of his arrest, Harrison had more than 260 stolen credit and debit card number stored on his laptop and in email accounts. US Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said that the crook lived off the stolen cards.

“This significant sentence is entirely fitting given that this defendant’s actions and those of the larger criminal organization harmed countless innocent Americans and seriously compromised our financial system,” said Peter T. Edge, HSI Executive Associate Director.

US Attorney Daniel Bogden added in a communication that Carder.su was responsible for thieving more than $50 / €40 million from identity theft victims, who suffered both financially and emotionally.

Putting Harrison behind bars is definitely a victory for the justice system, and the sentence he received comes as a warning for other individuals involved in highly lucrative illegal businesses such as ShadowCrew and Carder.su.