A Seattle man has been sentenced to more than four years in prison in what prosecutors say was the first federal case against someone using file-sharing software to steal identities.
Gregory Kopiloff, 35, was sentenced Monday to 51 months in prison, according to a report in the Seattle Post Intelligencer.
Kopiloff pleaded guilty in November to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and accessing a protected computer without authorization to further fraud. Kopiloff used programs such as LimeWire to gain access to personal information in tax returns, credit reports, bank statements, and student financial-aid applications of more than 50 people, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. He then used the information to buy and resell more than $73,000 in merchandise, the release said.
While music and movie piracy cases are common, the Justice Department called Kopiloff's prosecution its first case against someone accused of using peer-to-peer programs to commit identity theft.