Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Purchasing Stolen Data from Dark Web Marketplace Using Bitcoin

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced that a Buffalo man pleaded guilty to purchasing stolen personal data from online black market Genesis Market.

Wul Isaac Chol, age 27 of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud. This charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Genesis Market is described as an online marketplace where operators collect hacked data such as device IDs, emails, usernames, and passwords from malware-infected computers worldwide and sell this information using cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin.

Between June 2019 and January 2021, Chol deposited approximately $105 in Bitcoin to purchase data packages from his Genesis Market account. In total, the 21 packages contained around 778 unauthorized access devices containing people’s private information. Additionally, Chol admitted to fraudulently obtaining $25,164 from the New York State Department of Labor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly, who is prosecuting the case, stated that purchases on Genesis Market were intentionally designed to be anonymous through the use of digital currencies in order to enable criminal plans.

Chol has pled guilty to the charges and his sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2024, before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr., where he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from local authorities as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illicit online marketplaces and protect consumers.