Bronx Man Sentenced To 39 Months In Prison For Participating In Scheme To Take Over Ride-Sharing Driver Accounts
summary
Louis Pina, a Bronx man, was sentenced to 39 months in prison for leading a scheme to impersonate ride-sharing company representatives, steal driver login credentials, hack hundreds of accounts on Company-1 and Company-2, and divert millions in earnings to his controlled bank accounts, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
paragraph
Louis Pina was sentenced to 39 months in prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that targeted drivers of two ride-sharing companies, Company-1 and Company-2, by impersonating company representatives to obtain login credentials. He and his co-conspirators hacked hundreds of driver accounts, diverting millions of dollars into bank accounts they controlled, and Pina personally recruited others and directly contacted victims. He pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, and was ordered to pay $198,663 in restitution to Company-1 and $243,112 to Company-2.
narrative
Louis Pina, a 24-year-old Bronx man, was sentenced to 39 months in prison for leading a coordinated fraud scheme that compromised hundreds of ride-sharing driver accounts on Company-1 and Company-2. Scheme members, including Pina, impersonated company representatives to deceive drivers into revealing personal identifiers and login credentials, which were then used to gain unauthorized access to their accounts. Once inside, they altered account information and diverted driver earnings to bank accounts under their control, stealing millions of dollars in total. Pina personally called drivers, recruited accomplices, and played a central role in executing the fraud, for which he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was the eighth defendant to plead guilty in the case, which involved a sophisticated cyber-enabled theft targeting gig economy workers. In addition to his prison term, Judge Jed S. Rakoff ordered Pina to pay $198,663 in restitution to Company-1 and $243,112 to Company-2. The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the case was prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.
Classified cyber-fraud(confidence 97%). No EDGAR filing fingerprint (criminal/DOJ-side scheme). detection rule →
Parties
aggravated identity theftGeoffrey S. BermanJudge Jed S. Rakoffjudge rakofflouis pinascheme members
Keywords
company-company- company-accountsdriver accountsschemepinadriversdriverride-sharingmonths prisonprison participatingparticipating schemecompany- driverprisonlink
Extracted insights
Dollar amounts 2
- $243K $243,112 $100K–$1M
- $199K $198,663 $100K–$1M
Entities 6
- person aggravated identity theft
- person Geoffrey S. Berman
- person Judge Jed S. Rakoff
- person judge rakoff
- person louis pina
- person scheme members
Triples 15
- Louis Pina sentenced to 39 months in prison
- Louis Pina pled guilty to conspiracy to commit access device fraud
- Louis Pina pled guilty to aggravated identity theft
- Louis Pina participated in scheme to defraud ride-sharing drivers
- Louis Pina called Company-1 and Company-2 drivers to obtain login credentials
- Louis Pina hacked accounts of Company-1 and Company-2 drivers
- Louis Pina recruited others into the scheme
- Scheme members compromised hundreds of Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts
- Scheme members stole millions of dollars from driver accounts
- Judge Jed S. Rakoff imposed sentence on Louis Pina
- Judge Rakoff ordered restitution of $198,663 to Company-1
- Judge Rakoff ordered restitution of $243,112 to Company-2
- Geoffrey S. Berman announced sentencing of Louis Pina
- Louis Pina is eighth defendant to plead guilty in this case
- Louis Pina is 24 years old from the Bronx, New York
Extracted body text (4,056c)
Press Release Bronx Man Sentenced To 39 Months In Prison For Participating In Scheme To Take Over Ride-Sharing Driver Accounts Monday, May 6, 2019 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LOUIS PINA was sentenced to 39 months in prison for participating in a scheme to defraud drivers of two ride-sharing companies (“Company-1” and “Company-2”) by accessing those drivers’ accounts without authorization in order to divert driver funds to bank accounts controlled by PINA and other members of the scheme (the “Scheme”). PINA previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence. PINA is the eighth defendant to have pled guilty in this case. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Louis Pina was a leader of a criminal consortium that deceived the drivers of two ride-sharing companies, enabling the criminals to access drivers’ accounts and steal millions of dollars. Hard-working men and women who worked long hours to make a living had their accounts hacked into and their hard-earned money stolen. Now Louis Pina is going to prison for his crimes.” According to the Complaint, the Indictment to which PINA pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings: PINA and his co-defendants defrauded livery drivers and ride-sharing companies using mobile ride-sharing applications. The Scheme targeted drivers associated with Company-1 and Company-2. Scheme members called Company-1 and Company-2 drivers posing as Company-1 and Company-2 representatives, and deceived the drivers into providing unique personal identifiers and other information that was then used to obtain unauthorized access into the online Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts. Once members of the Scheme logged into Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts without authorization, they altered information in those compromised accounts and diverted driver funds to bank accounts they controlled. PINA personally called Company-1 and Company-2 drivers to obtain their login credentials, hacked the accounts of Company-1 and Company-2 drivers, and recruited others into the Scheme. Scheme members compromised hundreds of Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts and stole millions of dollars from Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts. * * * In addition to the prison term, Judge Rakoff ordered PINA, 24, of the Bronx, New York, to make court-ordered restitution in the amount of $198,663 to Company-1 and $243,112 to Company-2. Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the United States Secret Service. Mr. Berman further thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and cooperation throughout this case, and also thanked the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sheb Swett and Noah Solowiejczyk are in charge of the prosecution. Updated May 6, 2019 Topics Financial Fraud Identity Theft Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 19-139
OCR text (4,056c · plain-text · 99% conf)
Press Release Bronx Man Sentenced To 39 Months In Prison For Participating In Scheme To Take Over Ride-Sharing Driver Accounts Monday, May 6, 2019 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LOUIS PINA was sentenced to 39 months in prison for participating in a scheme to defraud drivers of two ride-sharing companies (“Company-1” and “Company-2”) by accessing those drivers’ accounts without authorization in order to divert driver funds to bank accounts controlled by PINA and other members of the scheme (the “Scheme”). PINA previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence. PINA is the eighth defendant to have pled guilty in this case. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Louis Pina was a leader of a criminal consortium that deceived the drivers of two ride-sharing companies, enabling the criminals to access drivers’ accounts and steal millions of dollars. Hard-working men and women who worked long hours to make a living had their accounts hacked into and their hard-earned money stolen. Now Louis Pina is going to prison for his crimes.” According to the Complaint, the Indictment to which PINA pled guilty, court filings, and statements made in public court proceedings: PINA and his co-defendants defrauded livery drivers and ride-sharing companies using mobile ride-sharing applications. The Scheme targeted drivers associated with Company-1 and Company-2. Scheme members called Company-1 and Company-2 drivers posing as Company-1 and Company-2 representatives, and deceived the drivers into providing unique personal identifiers and other information that was then used to obtain unauthorized access into the online Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts. Once members of the Scheme logged into Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts without authorization, they altered information in those compromised accounts and diverted driver funds to bank accounts they controlled. PINA personally called Company-1 and Company-2 drivers to obtain their login credentials, hacked the accounts of Company-1 and Company-2 drivers, and recruited others into the Scheme. Scheme members compromised hundreds of Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts and stole millions of dollars from Company-1 and Company-2 driver accounts. * * * In addition to the prison term, Judge Rakoff ordered PINA, 24, of the Bronx, New York, to make court-ordered restitution in the amount of $198,663 to Company-1 and $243,112 to Company-2. Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the United States Secret Service. Mr. Berman further thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and cooperation throughout this case, and also thanked the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sheb Swett and Noah Solowiejczyk are in charge of the prosecution. Updated May 6, 2019 Topics Financial Fraud Identity Theft Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 19-139