Arizona Woman Sentenced in North Korea IT Fraud

Christina Marie Chapman, a 50-year-old Arizona woman, was sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison for running a 'laptop farm' scheme that enabled North Korean IT workers to obtain remote jobs at over 300 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 firms, government agencies, and major tech, aerospace, and media companies. Chapman used the stolen identities of 68 Americans to facilitate the operation from 2020 to 2023, generating over $17 million, much of which supported North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. She shipped company-provided laptops to North Korean operatives, often via China, and laundered proceeds through her accounts. She was ordered to forfeit over $284,000, pay nearly $177,000 in restitution, and will serve three years of supervised release after her prison term. Authorities warn that North Korea’s covert IT workforce, especially in the tech and crypto sectors, poses a serious risk to U.S. businesses and national security. The case underscores the increasing sophistication of foreign adversaries exploiting remote work vulnerabilities and urges businesses to rigorously verify virtual employees.