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The leader of the largest hacking and identity theft ring ever prosecuted by the U.S. government has been sentenced to 20 years and one day in prison for his role in a series of hacks into a major payment processor and several retail networks for credit cards, announced Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer; U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen Milagros Ortiz; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Benton J. Campbell; U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman; and Director of the U.S. Secret Service Mark Sullivan.

On March 25, 2010, Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in U.S. District Court in Boston to 20 years in prison for conspiracy, computer fraud wire fraud, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft related to hacks into numerous major U.S. retailers, including the TJX Companies, BJ’s Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority.

Thursday’s sentence also addresses the charges brought in the Eastern District of New York and transferred to Boston for plea and sentence. The New York indictment charged Gonzalez with, among other things, conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to his breach of the electronic payment systems of the Dave and Buster’s restaurant chain. Gonzalez was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and to pay a fine of $25,000.

Today, Gonzalez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 20 years and one day in prison for two counts of conspiracy relating to his efforts to assist others in gaining access to the payment card networks of Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based card processor; 7-Eleven, a Texas-based nationwide convenience store chain; and Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc., a Maine-based supermarket chain. Gonzalez was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. The prison term and the term of supervised release will run concurrently with the sentence imposed yesterday against Gonzalez. Gonzalez was ordered to pay a fine of $25,000 in addition to the fine imposed yesterday. The charges in this case were originally brought in the District of New Jersey. Restitution in all three cases will be determined by the court at a later date.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice