NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for participating in a scheme to obtain over $300,000 by illegally charging or attempting to charge victims’ financial accounts without authorization, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Briana Burford, 27, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging her with wire fraud. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today by videoconference.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

From October 2018 through December 2018, Burford made four Bitcoin transactions. The Bitcoin were sent to accounts associated with carding websites, which are websites that engage in the trafficking of stolen or otherwise illegally obtained credit card, bank account and other personal identification information, as well as services and tools that one can use to engage in fraudulent activity.

The two telephone numbers used to make the four Bitcoin transactions, along with other telephone numbers, were used to inquire about bank accounts that were later compromised and subject to fraud. For instance, on Aug. 31, 2018, one of the telephone numbers was used to contact a bank and inquire about a specific bank account. Later that day, Burford, without authorization, charged a purchase of approximately $9,000 to that bank account.    

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Burford to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $245,570 in restitution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.