Binghamton International Hacker Pleads Guilty

A Binghamton man who had been linked to an international computer hacking ring will be sentenced in November after pleading guilty in Federal Court on August 17, 2015 to criminally sending spam.

Prosecutors say 39-year-old Eric Crocker faces up to three years in prison.  Crocker, AKA “Phastman”, admitted using a Facebook Spreader to infect computers of Facebook users, allowing him to gain control between August 1, 2011 and October 6, 2012 as part of the Darkode ring.

Members of the ring, who could only join after being recommended by other members, would gain password and other information using malware and sell groups of infected and controlled computers to others for sending spam.

Prosecutors say an unidentified co-conspirator paid Crocker and others $200 to $300 for every 10,000 computer infections.

Authorities say Darkode operated in 20 countries.