Christina Marie Chapman, a 48-year-old resident of Litchfield Park, Arizona, has admitted guilt in a fraud scheme that facilitated the employment of overseas IT workers at over 300 U.S. companies under false pretenses. The operation generated more than $17 million in illegal revenue for herself and North Korea.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez of the Phoenix Field Office, and IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick for IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office.
Chapman entered her guilty plea to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments before U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss, who set sentencing for June 16, 2025. According to the plea agreement terms, both parties will recommend a federal prison sentence ranging from 94 to 111 months. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering relevant guidelines and factors.
Court documents reveal that Chapman conspired with overseas IT workers between October 2020 and October 2023 to use stolen identities of U.S. nationals for remote IT job applications. False documents were also sent to the Department of Homeland Security as part of this scheme.
Chapman managed computers received from these companies at her home to create an impression that workers were based in the United States, enabling them access to internal systems of various U.S. companies.
The foreign IT workers earned over $17 million through this fraudulent activity, with much income falsely reported under stolen identities to the IRS and Social Security Administration.
This misconduct affected more than 300 U.S.-based firms and compromised over 70 American identities while resulting in numerous instances where false information was submitted to DHS and false tax liabilities created.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI Counterintelligence Division, FBI Phoenix Field Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office with support from FBI Chicago Field Office.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Prosecutors Joshua Rothstein, Karen Seifert, Thomas Gillice along with Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Gregory J. Nicosia Jr., Trial Attorney from National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section provided assistance.