Arizona woman pleads guilty to running laptop farm for N. Korean IT workers, faces 9-year sentence
2025-02-11 • The Record •
https://therecord.media/arizona-woman-pleads-guilty-north-korean-laptop-farm
A U.S. court case described Christina Marie Chapman’s role in helping North Korean IT workers obtain remote jobs at more than 300 U.S. companies. Prosecutors said Chapman helped workers use stolen identities from more than 70 U.S. citizens and operated a laptop farm at her Arizona home so overseas workers in China, Russia, Laos, and other locations appeared to be working from the United States. The scheme generated more than $17.1 million, much of it allegedly sent back to North Korea, and included workers linked by the State Department to the DPRK’s Munitions Industry Department. The article also notes FBI warnings that some North Korean IT workers have used company network access to exfiltrate sensitive data and extort employers after discovery.