A Florida man pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges, and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, for his role in the theft and illegal sale of consumer data from Fidelity National Information Services subsidiaries in St. Petersburg, FL.
William Sullivan, a former database administrator, entered in plea in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tampa. He earlier made a plea agreement with federal prosecutors admitting to his role in accessing customer data at Certegy Check Services and Fidelity National Card Services – data which he was unauthorized to view – and selling it to a second individual, who in turn re-sold the information to direct marketers and other sources, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Robert O’Neill.
The data included bank account information, as well as credit and debit card data. The duo’s enterprise began in 2002, involving 8.4 million individuals and netting Sullivan $580,000. Fidelity, which will receive restitution from Sullivan, says none of the data has been tied to any account theft or fraud.
