JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 20-year-old man from Palm Coast has pleaded guilty in a federal court in Jacksonville to multiple charges related to conspiracy and wire fraud as a part of a notorious cybercrime organization.
Noah Urban was involved in two distinct federal cases: one in Florida, made public in January 2024, and another in Southern California, revealed in November of the previous year. In the Florida proceedings, Urban admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as well as one count of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In the California case, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Urban was charged with stealing at least $800,000 in cryptocurrency from five victims between August 2022 and March 2023 in the Florida case. Authorities claimed that Urban and his accomplices would pilfer personal information from victims and arrange to transfer their cell phone numbers to devices that the conspirators controlled. This manipulation allowed them to access the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts by resetting passwords with confirmation through text messages. This method is commonly referred to as “SIM swapping.”
Under his plea deal, Urban has consented to pay restitution to all victims, which includes detailed compensation amounts for both Florida and California cases totaling over $13 million across 59 individuals. Notably, some restitution figures were included for victims unrelated to Urban’s guilty plea, part of the negotiated agreement. Typically, restitution is confined to the defendant’s admitted offenses, but Urban waived this stipulation.
Urban, also known by aliases like “King Bob” (after a character from the “Minions” movie) and “Gustavo Fring” (from “Breaking Bad”), is thought to be a member of the cybercriminal group “Scattered Spider.” Federal cybersecurity officials report that this group targets major companies and their IT support desks.
Reports from Krebs on Security and 60 Minutes indicate that Urban plays a significant role in the organization.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles previously informed that Urban was among five individuals charged with carrying out a phishing scheme aimed at corporations. They claimed the group would acquire employee login credentials to access sensitive company data and virtual currency, resulting in millions of dollars stolen through cryptocurrency theft. The data targeted through their phishing efforts included confidential work materials, intellectual property, and personal information.
When interviewed by investigators in May 2023, Urban estimated his personal gains from cryptocurrency theft to be several million dollars from January 2021 to March 2023, mentioning substantial losses in online gambling. His computers were seized, revealing approximately $2.89 million in cryptocurrency, valued at about $3.67 million by October 2024 due to price changes. A sentencing date is yet to be scheduled, anticipated to occur in around 75 days, following a pre-sentencing report from the court’s probation office.
Dutch
English
French
German
Italian
Korean
Portuguese
Spanish