Christina Marie Chapman, a 50-year-old Arizona TikTok influencer, was sentenced to 102 months (8.5 years) in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme that enabled North Korean operatives to fraudulently obtain remote IT positions at over 300 U.S. companies, including cryptocurrency firms. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Chapman operated a "laptop farm" from her home since 2020, using stolen identities of 68 U.S. citizens to help Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) workers pose as American employees.
The operation laundered $17 million in illicit revenue, with prosecutors revealing that Chapman forged payroll documents, routed salaries through U.S. banks, and transferred funds overseas. Her activities exposed sensitive infrastructure at Fortune 500 companies, aerospace firms, and Silicon Valley tech organizations, with some applications targeting U.S. government agencies. Authorities seized 90+ laptops during a 2023 raid, many labeled with stolen identities.
This case aligns with broader trends of DPRK infiltration, where North Korea deploys IT workers to steal cryptocurrency—$1.34 billion in 2024 alone—to fund weapons programs. Legal experts warn U.S. companies hiring such workers face strict liability under OFAC sanctions, risking civil penalties and reputational damage regardless of intent.