SEATTLE — Federal investigators and Seattle police tracked down a hacker they said is responsible for stealing credit card numbers and selling them, cracking an international scheme whose unraveling began with a Seattle restaurant owner's call to Seattle police.
David Schrooten, 21, a Dutch citizen, coordinated the theft of about 44,000 credit card numbers worldwide, including some from the Boeing Employees Credit Union, by hacking into the sales system of businesses, authorities said.
Schrooten was arrested in Romania and arrived in Seattle on Saturday. He has been charged with 14 crimes, ranging from access device fraud to identity theft, authorities said.
"People think that cyber criminals cannot be found or apprehended. Today we know that's not true. You cannot hide in cyberspace," said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan at a news conference. "We will find you. We will charge you. We will extradite you and we will prosecute you."
Seattle police began the investigation after a restaurant owner in Seattle's Magnolia neigborhood discovered his system had been hacked.
Corino Bonjrada said he became alarmed after several complaints from customers of suspicious charges after dining at Modello Risorante Italiano. Customers suspected his workers had taken their credit card information and used it, but Bonjrada found no evidence of that. He then called computer experts and eventually the police, he said.
That led police to Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Maryland, who they say planted spying malware in the sales systems of two Seattle businesses, two of dozens of businesses targeted. Schroebel had collected at least 4,800 credit card numbers in 2011.
"Some of my customers were saying they didn't know if they wanted to come back," Bonjrada said. "They were afraid."
Schroebel was arrested in November 2011 and pleaded guilty last month to federal charges that included bank fraud. He is set to be sentenced in August.
Investigators said Schrooten worked with Schroebel in creating websites to sell the credit card numbers.
Bonjrada said some customers were charged within "10 minutes" of using their credit card at his restaurants in the amounts of $70 or $80.
Authorities said the investigation into the ring run by Schrooten is continuing.
Schrooten is scheduled back in court Aug. 20.