Carlos Ruiz-Rodriguez, Extortion, Ohio 2023

Cincinnati, Ohio - In a shocking case of corporate espionage, Carlos Ruiz-Rodriguez, 25, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to extortion against a Cincinnati-based company. The crime, which took place in 2015 and 2016, has left the business community reeling.

Ruiz-Rodriguez, a former call center employee at the company, had access to the company's customer service portal and personally identifiable information for certain clients. However, instead of using this information to help his employer, Ruiz-Rodriguez used it to extort the company out of a total of $15,000 in Bitcoin.

Between November 2015 and January 2016, Ruiz-Rodriguez sent multiple extortion emails to the company, threatening to release the company's schematics and client data to the public unless he was paid. He then posted the company's data on an internet 'dark web' forum and received the ransom payments.

The investigation into this case was led by the FBI, with Assistant United States Attorney Tim Mangan prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman commended the FBI for their hard work in bringing Ruiz-Rodriguez to justice.

Ruiz-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to intruding computers and stealing proprietary information from the company he worked for. He faces up to 2 years in prison for his crime.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and the need for companies to protect their sensitive information. It also highlights the consequences of corporate espionage and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Glassman said, 'We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities from cybercrime and other forms of corporate espionage.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/former-local-employee-pleads-guilty-extortion