A federal grand jury has issued a superseding indictment against Terrance Michael Ciszek, also known as DrMonster, a detective with the Buffalo Police Department. The indictment charges Ciszek, 35, of Buffalo, New York, with affecting transactions using access devices issued to other individuals and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ciszek was previously indicted on charges of possessing unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud and making false statements to a United States agency.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly stated that since August 2018, the FBI has been investigating Genesis Market, an illicit online marketplace where operators sell stolen data from malware-infected computers worldwide. This data includes device identifiers, email addresses, usernames, and passwords. Transactions on Genesis Market are typically conducted using virtual currencies such as bitcoin.
According to the superseding indictment and an earlier complaint, between March and August 2020 Ciszek allegedly purchased 11 packages from Genesis Market containing a total of 194 stolen account credentials. In March and April 2020 he is accused of attempting to use stolen credit cards for purchases. On April 15, 2020 he is further accused of possessing and using another person’s identification information including name, address, and credit card details.
The indictment also alleges that on April 4, 2023 Ciszek made false statements to the FBI by denying any purchase of stolen credentials from the internet and suggesting his nephew may have been responsible for such purchases.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
“The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.”
