Overview

• Christina Chapman pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy for helping North Korean operatives pose as U.S. IT workers.
• From October 2020 to October 2023, she ran a laptop farm from her Arizona home, housing over 90 seized computers and shipping dozens of devices overseas to conceal the operatives’ locations.
• The scheme stole 68 American identities and defrauded more than 300 U.S. companies, generating over $17 million in illicit revenue for North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
• U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss sentenced Chapman to 102 months in prison, ordered her to forfeit $284,555.92 and pay $176,850 in restitution, and imposed three years of supervised release.
• The Justice Department and FBI have issued new guidance urging companies to bolster remote hiring protocols and identity verification to guard against similar schemes.