Joshuah Witt, John Griffin, and Brad Lowe were convicted of hacking into networks of more than a dozen businesses and breaking into more than 40 establishments to steal equipment and personal and business information to commit fraud, according to a press release by the US Attorney for the Western District of Washington.
Witt was sentenced this week to 95 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In May, Griffin was also sentenced to 95 months in prison and three years of supervised release, while Lowe was sentenced to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
During the crime spree, the Seattle-based ring stole credit card numbers and used them to purchase tens of thousands of dollars of high-tech equipment and luxury goods that they used or sold. They hijacked payroll information so that funds would be distributed to accounts under their control and sent company funds to reloadable debit cards, allowing them to rapidly cash out the company accounts, the release explained.
The ring broke into businesses and stole computer equipment that they then used to hack into the company’s network. The men outfitted at least one vehicle with high-tech equipment – including extensive antennas – allowing them to search for wireless networks they could use both for hacking or to hide their digital fingerprints when they accessed a company network, the released added.
Next month, US District Judge Richard Jones will determine how much the men will have to pay in restitution, an amount that is expected to exceed $3 million. “For some of these individuals it will be years, if not a lifetime, to recover from the conduct you engaged in”, Judge Jones told Witt at his sentencing.