October 19, 2023 at 10:09AM
A former US Navy IT manager, Marquis Hooper, has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for selling personal records on the dark web. Hooper accessed a database and sold the details of over 9,000 people, generating about $160,000 worth of Bitcoin. The data was used by criminals, including for creating fake driver’s licenses. Hooper’s sentence was less severe than the maximum penalty he faced due to his military status. His co-defendant and wife, Natasha Chalk, is set to be sentenced on November 20.
During the meeting, it was discussed that a former IT manager for the US Navy, Marquis Hooper, is facing a prison sentence of five-and-a-half years for selling personal records on the dark web. The records sold included details of over 9,000 individuals and resulted in the equivalent of $160,000 in Bitcoin. The data was subsequently used by criminals, including one case where a fake driver’s license was created to attempt a bank withdrawal. While Hooper’s sentence was less severe than the maximum possible, prosecutors argued that his military status warranted harsh punishment. The court records revealed that Hooper falsely represented himself to access a database containing personally identifiable information (PII), claiming it was for Navy background checks. He and his co-defendant, Natasha Chalk, attempted to gain access to the database again using another account and fraudulent documents. Chalk is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, facing the same maximum sentence.