YouTube Video Lands LA Man In Prison For Pot, 'Phishing' Ring
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Southland man is behind bars on Tuesday for uploading videos of an elaborate marijuana growing operation that ultimately led investigators to an even bigger moneymaking scheme.
Prosecutors said Kenneth Lucas II, 27, used the pot as a secondary stream of revenue to fund an international "phishing" scam that reportedly netted up to $1 million in cash.
KNX 1070's Kim Marriner reports Lucas ran the U.S. arm of an global cybercrime ring that emailed millions of phony requests for money to people on the Internet.
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"Operation Phish Phry" targeted hackers in Egypt that worked with U.S. accomplices to illegally access the accounts of those who responded to the requests. The funds were then transferred to a fraudulent account.
Lucas pleaded guilty to 49 counts of bank & wire fraud and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
