Arizona Woman Sentenced for Helping North Korean IT Workers Secure Jobs
An Arizona woman and TikTok influencer, Christina Marie Chapman, has been sentenced to 102 months in prison for her involvement in a scheme to help North Korean IT workers fraudulently secure remote jobs at over 300 U.S. companies.
Chapman’s Involvement
Chapman, 50, operated a “laptop farm” in Arizona, where she aided North Korean operatives in laundering over $17 million through stolen identities. This scheme not only led to financial gains for Chapman and the operatives but also exposed sensitive U.S. firms, including aerospace and tech companies, to potential foreign infiltration.
Chapman’s Sentence
Following her guilty plea to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering conspiracy, Chapman was sentenced to 102 months in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to forfeit over $284,000 and pay $176,850 in restitution.
Operation Details
Chapman’s “laptop farm” facilitated North Korean IT workers in posing as U.S. citizens to secure remote tech jobs. By connecting computers sent by U.S. companies to remote operatives overseas, Chapman helped the operatives mask their true locations and appear as if they were working from within the United States.
She even shipped devices to overseas locations near the China-North Korea border. A search of her home led to the seizure of over 90 laptops, many labeled with stolen identities.
DOJ Allegations
The Department of Justice accused Chapman of assisting North Korean workers in submitting false job applications under stolen U.S. identities, receiving wages through U.S. banks, and laundering earnings through her accounts. This scheme generated over $17 million in illicit revenue and put American infrastructure at risk.
Crypto Industry Risks
North Korea has been known to siphon billions of dollars in cryptocurrency to fund its weapons programs. The country deploys skilled IT professionals overseas, using VPNs, fake documents, and stolen identities to embed themselves within Western companies. The crypto industry, in particular, has been a frequent target due to its decentralized nature.
Despite efforts to disrupt North Korea’s IT infiltration network, U.S. officials estimate that hundreds of DPRK-linked workers remain embedded in firms worldwide, including in the crypto space.