Security News > 2021 > October > Transnational fraud ring stole millions from Army members, veterans
Fredrick Brown, a former U.S. Army contractor, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison after admitting to his role in a conspiracy that targeted thousands of U.S. service members and veterans and caused millions of dollars in losses.
Brown was one of five fraudsters charged with carrying out an identify-theft and fraud scheme that targeted "Service members and veterans, their dependents, and civilians employed by the Department of Defense," according to a 14-count indictment unsealed in August 2019.
Brown pleaded guilty in October 2019 and admitted that he stole personal identifying information of thousands of military members between July 2014 and September 2015, including but not limited to "Their names, social security numbers, DOD ID numbers, dates of birth, and contact information."
"The theft of personally identifiable information can significantly harm our military service members, veterans and their families," said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth A. DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.
Brown provided the stolen data to co-defendant Robert Wayne Boling Jr. Boling and other members in the transnational fraud ring, who then used the information to create and compromise military personnel's Defense Self-Service Logon accounts.
This allowed the conspiracy member to access U.S. military community benefits info via the Department of Defense portal and steal millions of dollars from veterans' pension and disability benefits payments and U.S. military members' bank accounts.