An Arizona woman has received an eight-year-plus federal prison sentence for her role in a scheme that allowed North Korean operatives to masquerade as remote IT workers for hundreds of American companies, reports Politico. Christina Chapman, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering, reportedly ran a "laptop farm" from her home, managing at least 90 devices that facilitated the scam. The plot leveraged stolen identities of real US citizens, letting North Korean nationals slip past hiring checks and land jobs at more than 300 companies, including a major car manufacturer, a Silicon Valley tech firm, and a US media group.
According to the Justice Department, the operation funneled more than $17 million into North Korean government coffers (and Chapman's wallet) between 2020 and 2023. Chapman, 50, personally was ordered to forfeit more than $284,000 in proceeds and pay an additional fine exceeding $175,000; that latter number is what the Washington Post reports Chapman was paid for her role. Authorities highlighted the risks posed by lax employee verification, noting that even large, well-known corporations fell victim to the ruse.
"The call is coming from inside the house," acting US Attorney Jeanine Pirro warned in the DOJ release, emphasizing the broader vulnerability for businesses nationwide. Chapman's sentencing follows a recent federal crackdown that seized hundreds of accounts and laptops tied to the scheme. The Justice Department said she's not alone—similar operations have involved US citizens, as well as accomplices in China and the UAE. In a letter to the judge in her case, Chapman said she was "deeply ashamed" and offered her thanks to the FBI, per the Post. "I had been trying to get away from the guys that I was working with for a while and wasn't really sure how to do it," she wrote, admitting that "this wasn't the ideal way."
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