NEWARK, N.J. – A former telecommunications company employee has been charged with a large-scale mobile phone unlocking scheme.
A complaint was filed against Richard Forrest Sherman, 43, who worked at a multinational telecommunications company. Sherman exploited a customer exemption to unlock SIM cards and created fake accounts to make bulk unlocking requests.
According to documents, Sherman set up the fake accounts in or around 2013 and continued the scheme until it was discovered in August 2020. Sherman and others received payment for unlocking the phones, which were then resold for profit.
The wire fraud conspiracy count is punishable by a maximum of 20 years and a fine of $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims.
Richard Forrest Sherman, of Salem, Oregon, and now Boerne, Texas, was arrested today in Texas and had his initial court appearance in federal court in the Western District of Texas. He was released on $30,000 unsecured bond.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie L. Hoxie of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office with the investigation leading to the charge.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: White Collar Crime|Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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