Database Analyst Stole Financial Information on over 7 Million People
William Gary Sullivan, 54, of Largo, Florida, stole consumer information on 8.4 million people from the Certegy Check Services, Inc and Fidelity National Card Services, Inc. Certegy is a consumer reporting agency that maintains databases of consumer information. Sullivan was employed as a database analyst for Certegy Check Services, Inc and Fidelity National Card Services, Inc at the time of the crime.
Beginning in 2002 and continuing through June of 2007, Sullivan agreed with an unindicted co-conspirator to steal consumer information from Fidelity, and Certegy in exchange for money. Sullivan was paid by the co-conspirator via business checks totaling more than $580,000 over the course of the conspiracy for the fraudulently obtained data. As a part of the conspirators effort to shield the fraud, Sullivan formed S&S Computer Services, Inc. and sold the stolen data to the co-conspirator through S&S. The Defendant's unindicted co-conspirator resold the stolen consumer information to direct marketers, including Strategia Marketing LLC a/k/a Suntasia.
The stolen consumer information included each individual's name, address, and usually either bank account information or credit/debit card information or sometimes both bank account information and credit card information. Over the course of the conspiracy, Sullivan sold 5,660,345 consumers bank account records, 1,462,449 consumers credit card or debit account information and 1,291,012 consumer records with no financial information. So Sullivan sold approximately 8,413,806 individual's information to the data broker.
Sullivan was sentenced to 57 month imprisonment and $3.2 million in restitution for conspiracy and computer fraud. Sullivan pled guilty on November 28, 2007.
References
United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, "Largo Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Consumers' Financial Information", November 28, 2007, News Release
United States Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, "Largo Man Sentenced for Stealing Consumer Information", July 10, 2008, News Release
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, United States of America v. William Gary Sullivan, Case No. 8:07-CR-438-T-23 MAP, Plea Agreement.
