2010-09-17
A 38-year-old man was sentenced to six-years in prison for washing money for cyber-thieves through an online payment system known as e-Gold.
A California man was handed a six-year sentence Thursday for laundering money for a crew of cyber-criminals.
Cesar Carranza, 38, also known by the handle “uBuyWeRush,” participated in the money laundering scheme between April 2004 and November 2006. According to the indictment, Carranza received cash deposits from carders - cyber-criminals who steal credit card information - and cleaned the money by acting as a money exchanger for an online payment system known as e-Gold.
Three directors of e-Gold Ltd. were previously convicted of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Carranza pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2009, to one count of conspiring to launder proceeds of unlawful activity. All totaled, Carranza was accused of helping to launder $2.5 million in illegal proceeds, authorities said.