NEVADA – A federal judge sentenced David Ray Camez to 20 years after a jury found that Camez was involved with others in the large scale trafficking of stolen credit card data and counterfeit identifications, federal officials said.
Camez along with others were also involved in money laundering, narcotics trafficking and computer crimes, federal authorities said.
U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Camez, 22, also known as “Bad Man” and “doctorsex” after a jury convicted Camez last December of one count of participating in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization and one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization.
In addition to his prison term, officials said Camez also was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $20 million in restitution.
“Camez was a member of a vast criminal organization that facilitated rampant cyber fraud throughout the world,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. O’Neil. “This organization is the new face of organized crime – a highly structured cyber network operated like a business to commit fraud on a global scale. Members, like Camez, paid to tap into the network and gain control of highly sensitive information, like compromised credit card numbers and stolen identities.”
The investigation determined that members of the Carder.su organization, known as “carders,” were involved in large scale trafficking of stolen credit card account data and counterfeit identifications.
The organization operated an Internet web portal called a forum, where members could purchase the illicitly obtained data and share knowledge of various fraud schemes.
A second forum was also created to vet incoming new members.
The forums were generally hosted within the former Soviet Union and the upper echelon of the organization reside within the former Soviet Union. In July 2011, the organization had an estimated 5,500 members.
Camez was one of 39 charged in an indictment returned in January 2012.
Seven others have pleaded guilty, two are scheduled for trial in June, and the rest are fugitives. Sixteen other defendants were also charged in the scheme in three separate indictments, and 14 have pleaded guilty to date.
During 2009 and 2010, the undercover special agent had multiple contacts with Camez in which Camez purchased counterfeit Nevada and Arizona driver’s licenses, officials said.
Investigators also intercepted and seized a package shipped to Camez from Pakistan which contained counterfeit credit and gift cards.
During a search of Camez’ home in Phoenix in May 2010, agents recovered counterfeit credit cards, equipment used to manufacture counterfeit credit cards, counterfeit U.S. currency and counterfeit identification documents.
A search of Camez’ computer revealed software used to encode counterfeit credit cards and stolen identity information.