Identity theft, mail fraud and selling counterfeit software netted an Oregon man $1 million. Now it could net him 27 years in prison and $500, 000 in fines according to the Department of Justice.
Jeremiah Mondello, 23, of Eugene, Ore., pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal copyright infringement, aggravated identity theft and mail fraud today before US District Court Judge Ann L. Aiken in Eugene. According to court documents, between December 2005 and October 2007, Mondello initiated thousands of separate eBay online auctions, using more than 40 fictitious usernames and online payment accounts to sell copies of counterfeit software and receive the illicit money from those sales. Mondello generated more than $400,000 in personal profit as a result of the sales.
In addition, Mondello admitted to stealing individuals’ identifying information to establish online payment accounts in their names. Mondello acquired victims’ names, bank account numbers and passwords by using a computer keystroke logger program to surreptitiously obtain this information. The keystroke logger program installed itself on the victim’s computer and then recorded the victim’s name and bank account information as the information was being typed. The program then electronically sent the information back to Mondello, and he used this stolen information to establish the online payment accounts, the DOJ said in a release.
The DOJ worked with the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) to bring Mondello down. According to the SIIA, it began investigating the eBay seller later discovered to be Mondello in 2007. Using data collected by SIIA’s proprietary Auction Enforcement Tool, SIIA identified Mondello through his eBay seller ID and determined there were many more additional eBay identities that likely were being used by Mondello. SIIA then referred all of its case information to the DOJ’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
Keith Kupferschmid, SVP of Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement for SIIA, noted that this case emphasizes why SIIA remains so diligent and engaged when it comes to anti-piracy enforcement and why consumers should be leery of any software deal that seems too good to be true.”
Mondello is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23rd.
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