Christina Marie Chapman, a 50-year-old Arizona woman and social media influencer, has been sentenced to 8.5 years in prison. She was operating a sophisticated IT fraud scheme linked to North Korea. The operation funneled over $17 million to a sanctioned regime through fake remote jobs at major US companies.
Federal prosecutors described her as a crucial enabler in one of the most significant North Korean IT frauds ever uncovered. Between 2020 and 2023, Chapman ran what authorities call a “laptop farm” from her Arizona home. She assisted hundreds of North Korean IT workers in posing as American professionals using stolen identities. These workers secured positions at over 300 US firms, including Fortune 500 giants, and secretly redirected their salaries across borders.
Over 90 laptops were discovered at her home, many labelled with company names and identification details. The laptops were being controlled remotely by North Korean operatives. Chapman was tasked with installing equipment, verifying these identities, forging signatures on checks, and moving money overseas. She also shipped 49 devices to places such as Dandong in China, just across the border from North Korea.
Authorities confirmed that the fraud directly supported North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Funds were laundered through Chapman’s personal accounts using false tax records. Some of the stolen identities triggered false tax filings and unemployment issues for 68 Americans, according to the Department of Justice.
Her arrest followed a broader federal crackdown on similar North Korean operations. The FBI and IRS also found that Chapman tried to help North Korean workers gain access to US government agencies. However, her attempts were in vain.
Prosecutors uncovered that Chapman received monthly payments for this crime. According to her sentencing, she must now surrender $284,555, with a further $176,850 in repayments. This period of imprisonment will also include a three-year term of supervised release.
Officials stressed the scheme exploited remote work trends and corporate cybersecurity gaps. US Attorney Jeanine Pirro warned that North Korea’s digital reach goes far beyond conventional threats. FBI officials also expressed concern, pointing to an urgent need for identity verification and thorough employee background checks.
Chapman’s case highlights how North Korea uses fake identities and global intermediaries to dodge sanctions. Reports suggest that around 3,000 North Korean IT workers operating abroad are often backed by US-based individuals, irrespective of their will.
This sentencing is one of the harshest penalties ever imposed on a US citizen linked to North Korean cyber and identity theft crimes. Officials said the crackdown continues, with more arrests and seizures expected.
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