The Brief
50-year-old Christina Marie Chapman was sentenced to 102 months in prison and post-sentence supervised release for her role in an IT worker scheme that involved North Korea.
"The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for Chapman and for [North Korea]," Justice Department officials wrote.
PHOENIX - Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice said on July 24 that a West Valley woman will serve prison time as a result of her role in a scheme that involved North Korea.
What we know
Per a statement, 50-year-old Christina Marie Chapman of Litchfield Park was given a 102-month prison sentence, after she pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
"In addition to the 102-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Chapman to serve three years of supervised release, to forfeit $284,555.92 that was to be paid to the North Koreans, and to pay a judgment of $176,850," read a portion of the statement.
The backstory
Prosecutors state that the scheme assisted North Korean information technology workers who were posing as American citizens and residents with obtaining remote IT positions at over 300 U.S. companies.
"The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for Chapman and for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea," Justice Department officials wrote, referring to the official name of North Korea.
While Justice officials did not identify the companies impacted, they did say Fortune 500 corporations were among those affected.
"The impacted companies included a top-five major television network, a Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace manufacturer, an American car maker, a luxury retail store, and a U.S media and entertainment company," read a portion of the statement.
Prosecutors said Chapman ran a so-called "laptop farm" where she "received and hosted computers from the U.S. companies at her home, deceiving the companies into believing that the work was being performed in the United States."
"Chapman also shipped 49 laptops and other devices supplied by U.S. companies to locations overseas, including multiple shipments to a city in China on the border with North Korea," officials wrote.
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