Defendant Sentenced for Intentional Destruction of Data, Credit Card Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

former Davie, Florida resident was sentenced to seven years in prison for intentionally damaging a protected computer belonging to his former employer and making unauthorized purchases with credit card numbers belonging to others.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.

In April 2017, a jury convicted Jonathan Lee Eubanks, 29, of one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization, one count of access device fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. According to testimony presented at trial. After resigning from a private security company, Eubanks repeatedly accessed his former employer’s computer system, without authorization, using remote access software that he had surreptitiously installed on a co-worker’s computer. The evidence showed that through this remote access software, on Jan. 27, 2013, Eubanks deleted all of the files on one of the company’s computer servers, including databases of client and employee information and files necessary for scheduling and tracking employee shifts. He also re-directed the company’s website, so that visitors to that site were instead directed to the website of a competing security firm. The trial evidence also revealed that the following day, Eubanks used the email account of a former co-worker to send multiple emails in that former co-worker’s name to the company’s employees and clients disparaging the company and accusing it of illegal practices. Several weeks later, Eubanks placed a series of online orders for rifle scopes, survivalist gear and electronics using credit cards and names belonging to three other individuals, which the evidence presented at trial showed he had obtained by accessing the computers of another company, which made software for use by private security firms.

The Honorable James I. Cohn, Senior U.S. District Judge, sentenced Eubanks to a total of 84 months in prison. The sentence consisted of 60 months for intentionally damaging a protected computer and access device fraud, followed by a consecutive term of 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft.

The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Louisa K. Marion, of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared M. Strauss of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Attorney General Sessions Speaks with Families of Victims Killed by Illegal Aliens

Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with families who have lost loved ones because of crimes committed by illegal aliens. In the meeting they discussed the progress being made by the Trump Administration to strengthen laws protecting Americans from crimes committed by illegal aliens and, the need to keep working to ensure that federal immigration laws are enforced.

“It was a great honor for me to meet with these families, and I was impacted by their stories,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The tragic burdens they carry remind us of the urgent need by the federal government to fully enforce our immigration laws and to secure the borders of this country. No Americans should experience what these families have suffered. I want to thank these strong moms, dads, siblings and widows for ensuring that their loved ones don’t die in vain by using their voices to affect the real changes that we are implementing. I commit to them, and I commit to the American people that the Department of Justice will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of every American community.”

Attending the meeting with the Attorney General were Maureen Laquerre and Maureen Maloney of Massachusetts, Juan Piña and Sabine Durden of California, Steve Ronnebeck and Mary Ann Mendoza of Arizona and Laura Wilkerson of Texas.

Former Prison Transport Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault and Threatening the Victim with a Firearm

A federal grand jury in Phoenix, Arizona, returned a three-count indictment against Eric Scott Kindley, 49, a prison transport officer, for crimes related to his sexual assaults of a female in his custody, and using his firearm in furtherance of these assaults.

Counts One and Two of the indictment charge Kindley with committing civil rights offenses that include both the use of a dangerous weapon and aggravated sexual abuse. Count Three charges Kindley with knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of these crimes of violence.

This indictment stems from Kindley’s arrest in Stockton, California on June 1, 2017, in connection with a criminal complaint filed in the District of Arizona. According to arrest paperwork, Kindley operates Group 6, LLC doing business as Special Operations Group 6, a company that local jails throughout the country hire to transport individuals who have been arrested on out-of-state warrants. The probable cause affidavit associated with the criminal complaint alleged that from January through May of this year, Kindley engaged in sexual misconduct in his Dodge Caravan with three different female prisoners during three different transports. The transports were from California to Arizona, Alabama to Arizona, and Mississippi to New Mexico. In each instance, the victim was handcuffed and restrained, and taken to secluded locations where Kindley sexually assaulted her. All the while, Kindley threatened each victim with his firearm and warned her that he will get away with his conduct because no one will believe her.

Following Kindley’s arrest in the Eastern District of California, the court ordered that Kindley be detained and transported to Arizona for further proceedings. Kindley is currently in custody.

This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Phoenix Division of the FBI at (623) 466-1999, or can email the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice at Prisoner.Transfer@usdoj.gov.

Kindley faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the crimes charged, and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for use of the firearm.

An indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct, and Kindley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Phoenix Division of the Federal Bureau Investigation and is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Maura White of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant United States Attorney Abbie Broughton Marsh of the District of Arizona.