U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that CARLOS DAVID IRIAS, age 47, a resident of Cutler Bay, Florida pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to a one-count bill of information. He charged with intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization and recklessly causing damage resulting in loss to Company A, a company in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to court documents, IRIAS employed from about 2012 until August 14, 2017, for more than $5,000 for one year, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ” 1030(a)(5)(B) and 1030(c)(4)(A).
The company is in the business of that developing and distributing specialized urological medical devices, including scopes and laser fibers.
IRIAS was responsible for designing marketing templates, coordinating sales, and developing client contacts. IRIAS terminated his employment with Company A on August 14, 2017. After that time, he was no longer authorized to access Company A’s cloud-based server, which handled marketing-related functions, including storing email contact lists and marketing templates and brochures.
On November 2, 2018, IRIAS accessed Company A’s secured cloud-based computer system from his home in Cutler Bay, Florida, without authorization. After that, he exported the contents to a server under his control. He then deleted the information from the cloud-based system. As a result of the unauthorized intrusion, Company A could not conduct marketing campaigns from about November 2018 until October 2019.
Company A was also unable to contact and communicate with their customer base for approximately two or three months, which jeopardized Company A’s reputation in the specialized field in which it operated. As a result of such conduct, IRIAS recklessly caused damage to Company A, for approximately $14,593.
IRIAS faces a maximum term of five (5) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment. Sentencing before Judge Guidry has been scheduled for October 15, 2020, at 2:00 pm.
U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Corruption Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Louisiana FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, July 9, 2020