The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Charles Onus, a Nigerian, for his alleged involvement in diverting $800,000 payroll funds into prepaid debit cards controlled by him.
Onus is accused of stealing payroll deposits processed by a company that provides human resources and payroll services to employers across the U.S. He allegedly participated in a scheme from about July 2017 to 2018 to conduct cyber intrusions of multiple user accounts maintained by the company.
During this period, 5,500 company user accounts were compromised and more than $800,000 in payroll funds were fraudulently diverted to prepaid debit cards, including those under Onus’s control. The compromised accounts were associated with employers whose payroll was processed by the company, including employers located in New York, USA.
“Charles Onus allegedly participated in a scheme that stole nearly $1 million by hacking into a payroll processing company’s system to access user accounts and divert payroll to prepaid debit cards he controlled,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.
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He added, “As alleged, Onus did this as effectively as someone who commits bank burglary, but with no need for a blowtorch or bolt-cutters. Thanks to the FBI and IRS-CI, Onus is in custody and facing serious federal charges.”
Mr Onus, 34, was arrested and detained on April 14, this year in San Francisco, and was presented before the Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.
Mr Onus was charged with one count of computer fraud for causing damage to a protected computer and risks a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He will also face one count of computer fraud for unauthorised access to a protected computer and one count of receiving stolen money, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
In addition, Mr Onus will face one count of wire fraud (which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison). He was also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, with a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
