A Malaysian computer expert who hacked into the computer network of the Federal Reserve Bank was arrested in New York last month shortly after arriving at JFK Airport with a laptop holding more than 400,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers.
Thirty-two year old Lin Mun Poo - who also tried to breach US national security systems - has been charged on four counts relating to fraud and ID theft, for which he faces a maximum ten-year jail term.
Poo is alleged to have found a network security vulnerability at a Fed bank in Cleveland, and to have breached the computer servers of a "number of major financial institutions".
According to the government's pleadings, Poo successfully hacked into FedComp, a data processor for federal credit unions, where he lifted data from various institutions, including the Firemen's Association of the State of New York and the Mercer County New Jersey Teachers.
He also broke into the computer system of a Department of Defense contractor which provides systems management for military transport and other military operations, potentially compromising highly sensitive military logistics information.
"Cybercriminals continue to use their sophistication and skill as hackers to attack our financial and national security sectors," says Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch.
The government's case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Cristina Posa and Melissa Marrus.