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10/14/2026
DOJ Arrests Two, Seizes 187 Devices in North Korean Laptop Farm Crackdown in Texas
U.S. News
Oct 13 (Reuters) - The US Department of Justice on Tuesday announced the arrests of two Americans accused of helping North Korean IT workers to steal identities and obtain fraudulent employment at US companies to earn money for the North Korean government.
The agency announced the arrests of Michael James Bostelle, of Pennsylvania, and Juan Cecilio Pena Carrillo, of Texas, on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft as part of the alleged scheme, the DOJ said in a statement.
• As part of the crackdown, the DOJ announced that the FBI conducted searches and took other action between September 21 and September 25 at more than 40 residences in Texas thought to be operating as “laptop farms” for North Korean IT workers, the DOJ said. The FBI seized roughly 187 laptops and other devices used to carry out the scheme.
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