Rapper Arrested For Buying Thousands of Stolen Credit Card Numbers

With record industry not what it once was and rappers not putting their monies in retirement funds or buying health insurance, when the checks stop coming some have to turn to a life of crime. For example, Guerrilla Black (a 33-year-old rapper whose real name is Charles Tony Williamson and we've never heard of before today) was arrested at his Los Angeles home and charged with 22-count indictment stemming from him buying thousand (and me mean, THOUSANDS) of stolen credit card numbers. (The numbers were stolen from credit cards used at two restaurants in Seattle.)

Williamson’s alleged conspirators David Benjamin Schrooten, 22, of the Netherlands, and Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Keedysville, Md., were indicted previously; Schroebel has since pleaded guilty. Prosecutors contend the young men stole and sold the credit card information, which Williamson put to use within hours of the thefts. Prosecutors claim Williamson received at least 27,257 stolen credit card numbers and stole at least $150,000. Williamson is alleged to have emailed instructions to Schroebel and Schrooten, telling them that he wanted to purchase “dumps” of stolen credit card numbers in lots of 100, 500 or more. “Today’s arrest shows that criminals cannot hide in cyberspace. We will prosecute all parts of the criminal gang – regardless of where they may be,” U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement.
source: Seattle Post Intelligencer

Guerrilla Black is charged with conspiracy to access protected computers to further fraud, to commit access device fraud and to commit bank fraud; two counts of accessing a protected computer without authorization to further fraud; six counts of access device fraud; eight counts of bank fraud; and five counts of aggravated identity theft. Yep, he'll be in prison for years.