Bitcoin mixer operator Anthony Murgio receives a 5 and a half year sentence for ransomware conversion activities
Anthony Murgio, a former staff writer at Casino.org, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison on June 29, 2017, for his involvement in money laundering and fraudulent activities. However, it is important to clarify that there are no credible search results or publicly available information linking Murgio to the JPMorgan data breach of 2014 or the Petya ransomware attack.
Murgio and his business partner Yuri Lebedev were accused of processing millions of dollars from victims into bitcoin. They took control of Hope FCU, a small federal credit union run by New Jersey Pastor Trevon Gross, and used it as a new front for their business, Coin.mx. The cryptocurrency obtained from victims was then sent to criminals through their exchange site, Coin.mx.
Pastor Gross was bribed $150,000 to allow Murgio and Lebedev to use Hope FCU. Murgio facilitated illegal transactions for cyber fraudsters and illegal online gambling websites, for which he pled guilty on January 9 to three conspiracy counts. His father also pleaded guilty to an obstruction charge tied to Hope FCU.
Murgio's actions caused significant damage, and during his sentencing, he expressed genuine "enormous regret" for his crimes. Meanwhile, Gery Shelon, who is accused of orchestrating the cyber attack on JP Morgan, is currently on trial in the US for his alleged crimes. Prosecutors theorize that Coin.mx was owned by Shelon, but there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.
The JP Morgan data breach compromised some 83 million customers, making it the largest-ever data theft from a US financial institution. The Petya ransomware variant ravaged businesses around the world on Tuesday, potentially causing concern for those involved in such cyberattacks. However, it is crucial to note that there is no established association between Anthony Murgio and these incidents.
In March, both Lebedev and Gross were convicted of conspiracy and bribery charges. One of Shalon's co-accused, Joshua Aaron, was an old college friend of Murgio's. Shalon, accused of running a criminal empire, engaged in ransomware attacks and laundered millions of dollars through at least 75 shell companies.
While Murgio's sentencing marks the end of a chapter in his legal proceedings, the investigations into the JPMorgan data breach and the Petya ransomware attack continue. It is essential to remain vigilant against such cyber threats and to support efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
- The general-news about Anthony Murgio's sentencing for his involvement in money laundering and fraudulent activities should not be confused with the crime-and-justice issues surrounding the JPMorgan data breach of 2014 and the Petya ransomware attack, as there is no credible link between Murgio and those incidents.
- Despite Anthony Murgio's sentencing for facilitating illegal transactions for cyber fraudsters and illegal online gambling websites, the investigations into the JPMorgan data breach and the Petya ransomware attack continue, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity in technology and the need to support efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
