Several Houston Men Charged For Stealing $600K From Bank Accounts After Getting Information Off The Dark Web

Authorities in Mont Belvieu, Texas, say that 40 people have been taken into custody in multiple states. This includes four suspects in Harris County, who are said to have stolen thousands of dollars from numerous of people.

Through “Operation Cash Back,” detectives were able to determine that the suspects had gotten information off the dark web.

Close to 35 people in the Mont Belvieu area have been victim to the crimes. However, they didn’t do anything wrong. Their information was just suddenly stolen from their bank accounts.

In June, an investigation started after authorities saw a pattern of frauds in other agencies, as well. They were then able to link a great amount of people to the crimes.

At this time, the 40 people who have been apprehended don’t only reside in Houston. They also live in other states, too, such as Georgia and Illinois.

Those thought to be the mastermind behind the operation include 21-year-old Lajewel McGilbray, 25-year-old Doc Frank, 20-year-old Jayson Gipson, and 23-year-old Gregory Edwards III.

Authorities reported that the suspects obtained financial information off the dark web that derived from data breaches in order to wire money out of people’s accounts. The stolen money equaled between $360,000 to $600,000.

Others were apprehended, as well, for allowing those who masterminded the operation to place the stolen money in their bank accounts.

Many of the other people that were taken into custody were friends and relatives of those who were heading the operation and some of them were people who were recruited through the internet.