A New York City man has copped to running a high-tech scam that hijacked U.S. cellphone accounts and routed thousands of illegal international calls through cloned devices. Farintong Calderon, 37, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, and the illegal use of modified telecommunications hardware and software.
Calderon, a former Verizon Wireless technician who once installed cellphone towers, turned his inside knowledge into a criminal enterprise after relocating to New York City. Using his access to sensitive telecom data, he became a key “line” supplier for an international fraud ring, providing co-conspirators with identifying information tied to real customer accounts from Verizon and other carriers. That data was then used to reprogram cellphones under the group’s control.
With the cloned devices active, Calderon’s partners flooded the lines with international calls routed over the Internet—primarily to Cuba, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic—where call rates are high and profits soar. All charges were dumped onto the compromised accounts of unsuspecting Americans across the country. No one had to answer a call for their information to be exploited.
Between 2010 and 2013, Calderon exchanged at least 1,408 sets of telecom identifying data via email with co-conspirators, according to his plea agreement. He admitted direct responsibility for more than $250,000 in losses tied to the fraud. His cooperation confirms the depth and technical sophistication of a scheme that exploited weaknesses in America’s wireless infrastructure for years.
Calderon is the third defendant to plead guilty in the case. Edwin Fana and Jose Santana previously entered similar pleas and are set for sentencing on Dec. 22, 2016, and Jan. 4, 2017, respectively. The investigation, dubbed Operation Toll Free by the FBI, underscores the bureau’s focus on dismantling large-scale telecom fraud networks operating across borders.
Sentencing for Calderon is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley in the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office and prosecuted by Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss. Court records are available via the Southern District of Florida’s public docket system.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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