Apple Thief Gets Up To Nine Years
June 22, 2012
The leader of one of the largest cybercrime rings will spend the next 4 ½-9 years behind bars. Shaheed Bilal, 29, was sentenced today for using counterfeit credit cards in Apple stores across the country, according to The Chicago Tribune.
According to the report, Bilal, along with other family members, purchased more than $1 million worth of iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks over a 2 ½ year period beginning in 2008. These items were then sold through dealers in Brooklyn, N.Y.
According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, “this criminal organization was truly a family affair."
Bilal's brothers, Ali, 25, Isaac, 27, and Rahim, 23, recruited the shoppers, the prosecutors said. His girlfriend, Ophelia Alleyne, 31, handled day-to-day operations in 2010, when Bilal was jailed in another case.In total, 16 people have been convicted in the case. Seven have charges pending, including Isaac Bilal. Source: The Chicago Tribune