Anton P. Bogdanov, a 33-year-old Russian national, has been indicted on charges tied to a $1.5 million cyber-driven tax fraud scheme that exploited stolen personal data from American taxpayers. Prosecutors allege Bogdanov and his co-conspirators hacked into U.S. tax preparation firms to access sensitive personal information, then filed fraudulent federal tax returns to siphon refunds into prepaid debit cards they controlled.
The scheme ran from June 2014 to November 2016, during which Bogdanov and others gained unauthorized access to the computer systems of private tax preparation companies. Using stolen Social Security numbers and dates of birth—known as personally identifiable information (PII)—they filed fake tax returns and redirected IRS refunds to prepaid cards. Bogdanov also allegedly used the stolen data to retrieve prior-year filings from the IRS website, enabling them to file updated, fraudulent returns with altered direct deposit details.
Bogdanov was arrested in Phuket, Thailand, on November 28, 2018, following a provisional arrest request from U.S. authorities. After months of legal coordination, he was extradited to the United States in March 2019. He is scheduled for arraignment at a later date in federal court in Brooklyn, where he faces charges of wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and computer intrusion.
Richard P. Donoghue, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said: ‘As alleged in the indictment, Bogdanov and his co-conspirators combined sophisticated computer hacking and identity theft with old-fashioned fraud to steal more than $1.5 million from the U.S. Treasury.’ He added that federal agencies remain committed to pursuing cybercriminals across borders, no matter how far they run.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. emphasized that Bogdanov’s overseas location didn’t shield him from accountability. ‘Mr. Bogdanov allegedly thought he could escape justice by hiding outside of our jurisdiction, but working together with our international partners, the FBI has the ability to capture and extradite criminals for their day in court.’ The Royal Thai Police and the FBI’s Legal Attaché played critical roles in Bogdanov’s capture and handover.
If convicted on all counts, Anton P. Bogdanov faces up to 27 years in prison. The case is being handled by the National Security and Cybercrime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael T. Keilty and Jonathan E. Algor leading the prosecution. The charges are allegations; Bogdanov is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Related Federal Cases
- Three Men Sentenced for Aiding North Korean IT Workers in U.S. Fraud Scheme · Alabama
- Nigerian Cyber Fraud Ringleaders Get Decades in Federal Prison · Mississippi
- Joshua Ikejimba Sentenced in $8M Email Fraud Scheme · Texas
- North Korea Scheme: Phoenix Woman Arrested in IDs Theft, Wire Fraud Scandal · Washington
- UAE Cyber Crook Gets 8+ Years for $8M Scam · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
