TJX Accomplice Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

Kim Zetter writes on Threat Level:

A hacker who helped TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez and others gain access to corporate networks was sentenced to 7 years and one day on Monday .

Christopher Scott, 27, pleaded guilty to breaching the wireless access points of several retailers between 2003 and 2007 to siphon credit and debit card numbers, which he then passed to Gonzalez. Prosecutors say that together the men pilfered nearly 20 million credit and debit cards, which retailers say led to $200 million in losses from fraud.

They used the cards to obtain cash advances from ATMs or sold the account information to other carders, who encoded the data to blank and counterfeit bank cards for fraudulent use. Scott’s take from the crimes was at least $400,000, according to prosecutors. He was paid in cash and with pre-paid bank cards and used the money to rent limos and partied with up to 10 women at a time, prosecutors say, and later bought a car, jewelry and $400,000 house.

The government is seeking forfeiture of $400,000, nine computers and an array of other electronic goods from Scott. Restitution will be determined at a future hearing.

More here.