A Miami man has pleaded guilty to participating in a massive Apple Pay fraud scheme that bilked victims out of over $1.5 million.
Daniel Butler, 29, of Miami, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Butler faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft count and up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Butler and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained access to at least 477 credit card accounts and linked those accounts to the Apple Pay application on their iPhones. Then, using their iPhones, Butler and the others made purchases using the victims’ credit card accounts, all without having to present actual credit cards to retailers.
The group made more than $1.5 million in fraudulent purchases.
This case is not an isolated incident. Three co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this scheme. Johnny Max Wesley, 23, of Miami, was sentenced in December 2018 to four years in federal prison. Laurent Pierre Louis, 30, of Miami, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2019, and Rachel Bishop, 26, of Miami, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2019.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
This brazen scheme highlights the need for consumers to be vigilant when using mobile payment services like Apple Pay.
Defendant Information:
Defendant Name: Daniel Butler
Age: 29
City and State: Miami, Florida
Crime Date: N/A
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft
Sentence: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a minimum mandatory sentence of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft count
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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