Qendrim Dobruna, 27, was arrested in Germany and extradited to face justice for hacking into a US-based system used to process bank card payments for disaster relief to the American Red Cross.
The offense to which he pleaded guilty yesterday, carries a maximum 30 years in prison and a USD 1 million fine. He will be sentenced October 24.
More than 15,000 ATM transactions in 18 countries using the compromised prepaid card data resulted in USD 14 million in financial losses worldwide, US prosecutors said.
They hacked into American Red Cross prepaid card accounts, manipulated the balances and withdrawal limits, allowing associates across the world to take out almost limitless amounts of stolen cash from bank machines.
Dobruna was arrested in Stuttgart, Germany in March 2012 by German police then extradited to the United States.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories
Over 30 subscriber-only stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app