U.S. Soldier Sentenced for Helping North Korean IT Workers Defraud U.S. Employers
Summary
Three men were sentenced after pleading guilty to helping North Korean IT workers use their identities to get jobs at U.S. companies. Prosecutors said the scheme generated about $1.3 million in salaries.
Key points
- Army Specialist Alexander Paul Travis received a one-year prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and a forfeiture order.
- Travis allowed North Korean workers to use his identity and installed remote-access software on laptops from eight companies.
- Two other men pleaded guilty and received probation; prosecutors said workers used their identities to get jobs at multiple U.S. companies.
- Prosecutors said the scheme generated about $1.3 million in salary payments, with the identity providers receiving smaller payments.
- Law enforcement disrupted laptop farms and arrested Americans who assisted the scheme.
- Flare and IBM researchers obtained internal messages and documents describing the scheme's structure and hierarchy.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Sentencing of three U.S. men who pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for enabling North Korean IT workers to use their identities to obtain jobs at U.S. companies.
- Impact
- The scheme generated approximately $1.3 million in salary payments for North Korean IT workers. Workers used the defendants’ identities and remotely accessed employer-provided laptops; the U.S. Attorney described the scheme as a significant national security challenge.
People
Alexander Paul TravisAn active-duty U.S. Army member who pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. He allowed North Korean IT workers to use his identity and installed remote-access software on laptops supplied by companies that believed they had hired him.Audricus PhagnasayPleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and allowed North Korean IT workers to use his identity to obtain employment and company laptops.Jason SalazarPleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and allowed North Korean IT workers to use his identity to obtain employment and company laptops.Margaret HeapU.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia who publicly described the North Korean IT worker scheme as a significant national security challenge.