News from January 2019


Two Ukrainian Nationals Indicted in Computer Hacking and Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

News Release: Hacking and Trading Scheme Involved Theft of Thousands of EDGAR Filings, Including Draft Earnings Reports of Publicly Traded Companies before Reports were Made Public


Secret Service Investigation Leads to Indictment of Two Ukrainian Nationals In U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Hacking Conspiracy

News Release: According to the indictment, the defendants, using a variety of different methods, hacked into SEC Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) system which is used to house financial information of public companies. This information, also known as test filings, included annual and quarterly earnings filings of publicly traded companies and is considered highly confidential prior to being reported to the public.


Secret Service Springfield, IL Electronic Crimes Task Force Investigation Leads to 35 Year Sentence for Texas Man in Sextortion Case

News Release: Sextortion is a term used to describe a form of online exploitation where a sexual predator obtains explicit photos of victims and threatens to publish them online if the victim does not comply with additional requests typically additional explicit photos, sexual favors, or money.


Secret Service Identity Theft Investigation Leads to a 102-Month Sentence for Tennessee Man

News Release: Jeremy Jones was originally indicted in February 2016, and in November 2017, was found guilty of using stolen identities to defraud over 100 individual victims and several financial institutions of more than 1.9 million dollars. Furthermore, Jones was found guilty on two counts of tampering with a government witness.


Secret Service Task Force Investigation Leads to Federal Charges Against Columbus Group for Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency

News Release: Brian Keith Kiser, 38, and Alan Curtis Jarrell, 37, both of Columbus, were arrested this week after members of the Secret Service Southern District of Ohio Electronic and Financial Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant at their residence. Approximately $3,400.00 in counterfeit currency, in various denominations, as well as, electronic media, paper, ink and other items used in the production of counterfeit U.S. currency, were seized during the search of the home.


Federal Crackdown on Financial Fraud and ATM Skimming Continues with Guilty Pleas

News Release: Julio Lopez Da Silva, 38, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, while Anderson Santos, 41, pled guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft, in U.S. District Court in Brunswick, said United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine. Da Silva faces sentencing of up to 30 years in ...


Secret Service San Francisco Electronic Crimes Task Force Investigation Leads to 186 Month Sentence for California Man in Child Pornography Case

News Release: Grant Ridder of Mountain View, CA, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May, 2017, and charged with two counts of production of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, three counts of cyberstalking, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.