Arizona woman pleads guilty in North Korean IT worker scheme

A 48-year-old Arizona resident, Ice Christina Marie Chapman, pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to participating in a fraudulent scheme that forced hundreds of North Korean IT workers to work illegally for more than 300 U.S. companies. She pleaded guilty. The total amount of money obtained through the scheme exceeded $17.1 million, most of which was transferred to the North Korean government.

Chapman played a key role in the scheme, helping North Korean citizens obtain stolen personal information from more than 70 U.S. citizens and arranging for fake IP addresses to disguise their location. To this end, she set up a so-called “laptop farm” in her home, where she sent equipment to the company’s employees. In practice, the North Koreans worked in China, Russia, Laos and other countries. The suspects were employed through recruitment agencies and on temporary contracts, using forged documents and false tax returns. Some of these “employees” tried unsuccessfully to obtain positions in US government agencies.

The US actively prevents the use of North Korean IT specialists in its enterprises. This is due to the fact that a significant part of their income goes to finance North Korea’s military programs, including the production of ballistic missiles. Chapman worked together with 27-year-old Ukrainian Oleksandr Didenko, who was detained in Poland and is now being prepared for extradition to the US. Investigators found that the North Koreans were able to find work in companies such as major television and radio networks, Silicon Valley technology giants, automakers and defense companies.

Chapman faces seven to nine years in prison. Sentencing will be held on June 16, 2025. This case is part of the FBI’s broader “DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler” initiative, aimed at identifying and disrupting the activities of North Korean IT workers in the U.S. The increased law enforcement attention to this issue has already revealed new tactics by North Korean fraudsters, including blackmailing companies and stealing corporate data.