Four men were arrested for their roles in a scheme to defraud businesses, banks and individuals through business email compromise and credit card fraud schemes.
According to a Dec. 9 U.S. Department of Justice news release, Joel Zubaid and David Goran of Riverside, Calif.; Julian "Iulian" Rebiga of Long Beach, Calif.; and Martin "Marty" Mizrahi of Las Vegas, Nev., cheated people and businesses out of more than $9.2 million.
"Joel Zubaid, David Goran, Julian Rebiga and Martin Mizrahi worked together on multiple schemes that included fleecing legitimate businesses by using compromised email accounts," U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District Damian Williams said in the news release. "In tricking them into sending millions of dollars to the defendants' own bank accounts and using stolen identities and credit card information, they were able to fraudulently charge millions of dollars through business that they controlled. Today, thanks to the efforts of this office and our law enforcement partners, they now face serious federal charges and justice."
The four were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and aggravated identity theft, the release reported. The charges against them carry maximum combined sentences of more than 120 years in prison.
"As we allege today, the defendants participated in several schemes designed to defraud multiple businesses of millions of dollars while also deliberately concealing the stolen proceeds of the frauds in a series of transactions," FBI-New York Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said. "The FBI is determined to discover and disrupt frauds of this - and any - nature and will ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions."
"Cyber fraudsters continue to present a real and credible threat through their attempts at sophisticated business email compromise schemes aimed to defraud victims," U.S. Secret Service-New York Special Agent in Charge Patrick Freaney said. "As demonstrated in this case, collaboration and partnership across law enforcement results in successfully identifying those fraudsters and bringing them before our justice system. The Secret Service is proud to partner with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in having the defendants named in this indictment answer the charges brought against them in the Southern District of New York."
