Jermaine Smith, a member of the cybercrime syndicate Carder[dot]su, was sentenced to over 12 years in prison this Thursday, and ordered to pay $50.8 million in restitution.
The 34-year-old Smith (a.k.a."SirCharlie57” and “Fairbusinessman") pleaded guilty in October 2014 to one count of participating in a racketeer-influenced corrupt organization, according to a Department of Justice release. Smith admitted to causing more than 250 victims to lose between $7 million and $20 million while he was a member of the Carder[dot]su syndicate that sold stolen credit card data, among other illegal activities, authorities said.
While awaiting trial in 2013, Smith – one of 55 people targeted in “Operation Open Market,' a Carder[dot]su crackdown– illegally fled to Jamaica. To date, 26 individuals linked to the fraud ring have been convicted, while the rest either await trial or remain at large, DOJ said.
