A Buffalo Police detective has been hit with a superseding federal indictment for allegedly attempting to purchase stolen credentials from an illicit online marketplace known as Genesis Market. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, who confirmed that 35-year-old Terrance Michael Ciszek, also known by the alias “DrMonster,” faces multiple serious charges.
Ciszek is now formally charged with affecting transactions using access devices issued to other individuals, as well as aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
FBI Tracks Genesis Market and Digital Fraud
The charges stem from a broader investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly, who is prosecuting the case, the FBI began investigating Genesis Market in August 2018. The illicit online marketplace specialized in trafficking stolen digital data harvested from malware-infected devices worldwide.
“Genesis Market offered buyers packages of sensitive data, including login credentials, computer identifiers, email addresses, and passwords,” Kruly stated. These packages were sold using virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, making transactions harder to trace.
Ciszek Allegedly Bought and Used Stolen Credentials
Between March and August 2020, Ciszek was accused of purchasing 11 stolen data bundles from Genesis Market, which reportedly included 194 stolen account credentials. In March and April 2020, prosecutors allege, he attempted to use stolen credit cards to make purchases. He was also allegedly found in possession of another person’s full identification, including their credit card, on April 15, 2020…