Information for Victims in Large Cases
United States v. Alexander Pakhtusov
The defendant was a seller on both Slilpp and Paysell (now called Blackpass) using the moniker “Mrtikov.” His overall involvement spanned from at least April 2016 through September 2019 and included listing for sale over 17 million economically valuable accounts of individuals held at various companies and banks. He actually sold over 14,000 sets of login credentials. The people who purchased those login credentials used those credentials to steal money from victim accounts.
Pakhtusov was indicted on 14 counts: Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud (Counts One and Two); Bank Fraud (Counts Three and Four); Wire Fraud (Count Five); Access Device Fraud (Count Six); Access Device Fraud (Counts Seven and Eight); and Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts Nine through Fourteen). Pakhtusov was extradited to the United States. On March 12, 2021, Pakhtusov pled guilty to one count of Access Device Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(3) [Count Eight of the Indictment] and three counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A [Counts Nine, Ten, and Eleven of the Indictment]. Pakhtusov is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2023.
United States v. David Maresca, et al. (23-CR-123)
On May 3, 2023 an indictment was unsealed charging the conspirators of a nation-wide foreclosure rescue scheme. The defendants marketed themselves as a “law firm” whose “attorneys” could help distressed homeowners remain in their homes. These firms operated through various names: Synergy Law LLC (October 2016 – August 2019); Themis Law LLC (June 2019 – present), and Babbs Law Firm (June 2019 – May 2022).
The indictment alleges that the defendants promoted their “law firm” to homeowners nationwide with mass marketing techniques—websites, advertisements, and call centers. They had the victims sign retainer agreements that required the payment of fixed legal fees every month. The “law firm” then provided no legal services to the victims and, in numerous instances, the victims were forced into bankruptcy or lost their homes to foreclosure. Many victims have reported that they never spoke to a lawyer. As of May 3, 2023, the case is pending.
United States v. MATJAZ SKORJANC, FLORENCIO CARRO RUIZ, MENTOR LENIQI, And THOMAS KENNEDY MCCORMICK
In December, 2018, the defendant McCormick, an American, and three others were charged by indictment with a racketeering conspiracy to develop and distribute malware through the major computer hacking forum known as Darkode. Arrest warrants are still outstanding for Skorjanc, a Slovenian national, Mentor Leneqi, a Serbian, and Florencio Ruiz, a Spaniard. The other foreign countries have declined to extradite the other three defendants to the U.S. for prosecution, but they remain fugitives from justice here in the United States.
Thomas McCormick, pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. The racketeering conspiracy charge includes conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and access device fraud, identity theft, hacking, and extortion.
U.S. v. Thomas Anderson Bowdoin, Jr. (a/k/a Andy Bowdoin)
The indictment alleges that from in or around August 2006 through in or around August 2008, Bowdoin operated a "Ponzi" scheme through a company