WOODMERE, Ohio (WJW) – Former Woodmere Mayor Charles Smith Jr. was sentenced Thursday in Federal Courtroom to 33 months in jail for aggravated identification theft linked to the darkish net.

The 52-year-old, who served two phrases as mayor and was beforehand a Florida Marlins MLB pitcher, had already pleaded responsible to the fees and was additionally ordered to pay over $10,600 in restitution.

In response to the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Northern District of Ohio, Smith “bought greater than 600 stolen debit and bank card accounts from the darkish net, affecting victims in 25 states.”

It occurred after Smith left workplace and had begun driving a supply truck for Amazon.

They are saying he used “gadget making gear” and a “reader encoder/author program” to make reproduced bank cards with over 100 of the stolen accounts. 

He then used the fraudulent bank cards to buy over $10,600 in gasoline for his supply truck.

“There appears to be another stuff taking place within the again story that there was an actual fall from grace for him, however it isn’t that shocking given the convenience by which you are able to do this,” mentioned Case Western Reserve College Faculty of Regulation Senior Teacher Michael Benza, MA, JD.

Benza says the whole lot from medication to playing, prostitution and particularly identification theft is prospering on the darkish net.

“There are individuals on the market who will acquire troves of details about individuals after which promote it,” mentioned Benza, “When you’ve obtained that, off you go.”

It’s unclear what motivated Smith as cameras weren’t permitted inside the federal courtroom and he has not spoken publicly in regards to the costs.

However Benza says it ought to function a warning to everybody.

“The key factor is to concentrate to the way you’re connecting to the web. There could possibly be somebody sitting proper subsequent to you capturing your data,” he mentioned.

He recommends at all times utilizing a Digital Non-public Community, or VPN, for added safety, and by no means conducting monetary transactions over public WiFi.

“For those who can’t, then use cell service which supplies you an additional degree of safety,” Benza mentioned.

It’s to guard your self from monetary predators who typically are additionally individuals you as soon as trusted, like Smith who pleaded responsible to at least one rely of entry gadget fraud and one rely of aggravated identification theft.