Miami man pleads guilty in ID theft case

IDG News Service - A Miami man has pleaded guilty to two identity-theft related charges after federal agents found more than 26,000 credit card numbers stored on his computer, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Juan Javier Cardenas, 45, purchased stolen credit card numbers over the Internet between February 2008 and May 2009, the DOJ said in a press release. Cardenas., known as Maceo, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to traffic in and possess unauthorized credit card numbers with intent to defraud, and one count of trafficking in unauthorized credit card numbers, the DOJ said.

Between March and May 2009, Cardenas e-mailed more than 1,500 credit card numbers to five co-conspirators, according to a June indictment of Cardenas. Those co-conspirators used the compromised credit card numbers to make fraudulent purchases, Cardenas said during his plea hearing before Judge K. Michael Moore.

U.S. Secret Service agents raided Cardenas' house in May 2009 and found more than 26,000 credit card numbers stored on his computer.

The indictment does not detail how Cardenas obtained the credit card numbers over the Internet.

Cardenas faces maximum prison sentences of five years on the conspiracy charge and 10 years on the charge of trafficking in unauthorized credit card numbers. He also faces fines on both counts, as well as forfeiture of any property or proceeds he obtained through the criminal activities. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantusG. Grant's e-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com.