Former Navy IT Manager, Marquis Hooper, has been sentenced to five years and five months in prison for his role in a large-scale identity theft scheme. Hooper, along with his wife, Natasha Chalk, gained unauthorized access to a database containing the personally identifiable information (PII) of over 9,000 individuals
They then proceeded to sell this stolen PII for $160,000 in Bitcoin on the dark web. Some of the buyers of the stolen information used it to commit further crimes, such as creating fake driver’s licenses and attempting to withdraw money from victims’ bank accounts.
The couple’s fraudulent activities began in August 2018 when Hooper falsely represented himself to a company managing the PII database as a Navy employee tasked with performing background checks. After gaining access to the database, Hooper involved Chalk in their criminal enterprise. Following the closure of their database account due to suspected fraud, the duo, along with an unindicted co-conspirator, attempted to regain access. They created fabricated documents falsely identifying an identity theft victim as a Naval supply officer, including a fake contract, a forged driver’s license, and a fabricated letter from a commanding officer.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. While Hooper has been sentenced to five years and five months in prison, Chalk is scheduled for sentencing on November 20, 2023.
She could face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account relevant statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. This case highlights the serious consequences of large-scale identity theft and the efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat such cybercrimes.
