John Smith
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A former IT Manager with the U.S. Navy was sentenced to five years and five months in prison for hacking a computer database that contained personally identifiable information (PII) and selling it, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced on Monday.
According to court records, in August 2018, Marquis Hooper, 32, of Selma opened an online account with a company that runs a database containing PII for millions of people.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that the company restricts access to the databases and government agencies that have a demonstrated, lawful need for the PII.
Hooper opened his database account by telling the company that the Navy needed him to do background checks.
The U.S. Attorney’s office said that after his database account was opened, he added his wife and co-defendant, Natasha Chalk, to the account and they stole over 9,000 people’s PII and sold it to individuals on the dark web for $160,000 in Bitcoin.
Chalk is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20, 2023, and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
