'Iceman' pleads guilty in credit card theft case

Max Ray Vision, formerly Max Butler.

(Credit: Santa Clara County Sheriff)

Max Ray Vision, aka "Iceman," pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of wire fraud stemming from the theft of nearly 2 million credit card numbers and $86 million in alleged fraudulent purchases.

Vision faces up to 60 years in prison when he is sentenced in October in federal court in Pittsburgh, according to federal public defender Michael Novara.

Vision was arrested in September 2007 and accused of operating an underground forum called "Carders Market" where cybercriminals bought and sold stolen credit card numbers and other data. He was targeted as part of a sting operation in which FBI agent J. Keith Mularski spent two years undercover infiltrating a group of cyberscammers who bought and sold stolen credit card numbers on a rival site called "Dark Market."

In an interview with CNET News in May, Mularski talked about Vision, whose last name used to be Butler:

There are a lot of guys who I think their curiosity just got the best of them and it led them down a dark path. One of the guys, Max Butler, who ran our rival site called Carders Market and used the hacker name "Iceman," was arrested in San Francisco. He was very intelligent. He could have been an excellent security expert.

Vision had worked as a security consultant before being arrested.

In a statement to the court, Novara said:

"Max has always preferred using his extraordinary computer skills--his computer vision--for the good of society and the cyberworld, and he hopes that he will be given the opportunity in the future to once again don the white hat."

[viper396]

"...he hopes that he will be given the opportunity in the future to once again don the white hat."

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that's a load of BS. His security consultant job was probable just a convenient cover while he aquired $86 Million in merchandise and caused headaches for over two million people. Probable the only real regret he has is he was caught. Prisons are full of people who thought they wouldn't get caught.

[brienza1975]

You are absolutly right!!!!

[nunyanun]

$86 Million? *** ??

[leesbee]

Our courts should have these guys put ageinst a wall an shoot.
Or have their hands cut off.
Would it stop it? I doubt it, The money to big. BUT it mit slow it down........

[marswat]

In some countries, they do cut off your hands for stealing, but that is usually little stuff like a few chickens or someone's goat. I think in this case $86 million, those countries would probably cut off his hands at the neck. Then he would get a white hat, the top part of the body bag!

[RighteousSoutherner]

He looks like just another stupid liberal from San Francisco, who was anti-capitalism and most likely an anarchist. They breed like rats in that area of the country.

[setjeff15081947]

60 years in prison? That'll give him plenty of time to "Make New Friends". I hope he's a "Bottom".