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Three at Exotic Car Dealership Arrested for Spying on
Rival Dealer’s E-Mail System
LEV L. DASSIN, Acting United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, and JOSEPH M. DEMAREST, JR.,
Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's New York Field Division ("FBI"), announced that
GIACOMO CIACCIA, a/k/a "Jack Ciaccia," LEKA VUKSANAJ, a/k/a "Luke
Vuksanaj," and MICHAEL LUSSOS, two co-owners and the creative
director, respectively, of Universal Autosports LLC ("Universal
Autosports"), of Glen Cove, New York, were arrested today for
illegally accessing the e-mail system of a rival exotic car
dealership. All three defendants were arrested at their homes
this morning by agents of the FBI and are expected to be
presented later today before United States Magistrate Judge
ANDREW J. PECK in Manhattan federal court.
According to the criminal Complaint unsealed today in
Manhattan federal court:
Universal Autosports, which deals in rare and expensive
exotic automobiles, was opened in February 2008. It operates in
the same office space formerly held by a rival dealership,
Ferrari Maserati of Fort Lauderdale-Long Island. CIACCIA was
also the general manager of Ferrari Maserati until March 2007,
and LUSSOS was Ferrari Maserati's former IT technician and
webmaster. LUSSOS designed Ferrari Maserati’s website and was
responsible for setting up its email accounts. He also performed
work on a consulting basis for Ferrari Maserati until January
2008.
In September 2008 an employee at Ferrari Maserati began
experiencing problems with emails. An investigation revealed
that emails from the accounts of several significant Ferrari
employees were being forwarded to an unauthorized email address
on Ferrari Maserati's email server. Further investigation
revealed that between February 4 and September 29, 2008, CIACCIA,
VUKSANAJ, LUSSOS and others unlawfully accessed Ferrari
Maserati's email server more than approximately 2,500 times from
computers at their homes and at Universal Autosports. In one
instance a dealer associated with Universal Autosports emailed a
customer who had been negotiating with Ferrari Maserati to buy a
rare Ferrari Enzo worth more than $1.3 million in an effort to
"help or get in the middle" of the deal.
CIACCIA, VUKSANAJ, and LUSSOS are each charged with one
count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization
and obtain information for commercial gain and to further an
intended fraud, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 5
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
CIACCIA, 43, resides in the Bronx, New York. VUKSANAJ,
42, resides in Mahopac, New York. LUSSOS, 40, resides in Coram,
New York.
The investigation is being conducted in New York City
by the Criminal Cyber Squad of the FBI. Mr. DASSIN praised the
investigative work of the Criminal Cyber Squad and thanked the
FBI for its role in this case.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office's Major
Crimes and Computer Hacking/Intellectual Property Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney JASON A. MASIMORE is in charge
of the prosecution.
The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint
are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty.
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