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A woman stole millions to fund North Korea's nuclear program, hosting a laptop farm in her home. The scheme defrauded US companies and compromised American identities. One neighbor said, "I hope the houses or neighbors 2 houses down that way aren't selling information to Russia or something." #NorthKorea #Cybercrime #Fraud #Arizona #NuclearProgram
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0:00
New details tonight on a Valley woman
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who stole millions to fund North Korea's
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nuclear program. She helped the North
0:06
Koreans gain access to US companies by
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setting up a bank of computers inside
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her home. Taylor Wartz joins me with
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more tonight. Crazy story, Taylor.
0:15
Yeah, Brian. A federal judge has
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sentenced Christina Chapman to 8 and a
0:19
half years in prison for her role in a
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fraudulent scheme that assisted North
0:23
Korea and generated income for their
0:26
nuclear weapons program. all from her
0:28
home in Lichfield Park.
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You never know what's going on behind
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closed doors, even in a neighborhood as
0:36
normallooking as this one in Lichfield
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Park.
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You know, we looked up at the crime
0:40
statistics and saw that it was actually
0:42
a quiet neighborhood
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with a neighbor as unassuming as
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50-year-old Christina Chapman.
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So, I'm in the car um about to go. But
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the FBI says Chapman helped bring in
0:52
more than $17 million for herself and
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North Korea, conspiring in a scheme to
0:58
defraud the US and its agencies.
1:01
This is a different type of fraud is
1:03
this is an income stream going back to
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the North Korean regime to fund their
1:07
nuclear weapons program which makes this
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that national security matter. Between
1:11
October 2020 and 2023, Chapman is said
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to have helped North Korean IT workers
1:17
secure stolen identities of US citizens
1:20
and residents, using those to get them
1:22
remote jobs with US companies, even
1:25
hosting a laptop farm in her home where
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she received and hosted the company's
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computers so the employees she was
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helping would appear to be in Arizona.
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The companies thought they were hiring
1:35
Americans. When they are looking at
1:37
their logs and seeing the IP addresses
1:39
coming back to somewhere in the US, the
1:42
systems say that is right.
1:44
More than 90 laptops were seized from
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Chapman's home. The scheme impacted more
1:49
than 300 US companies, ranging from a
1:52
television network to an aerospace and
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defense manufacturer, and compromised
1:57
more than 60 identities of American
1:59
citizens. that a lady in Lichfield Park,
2:02
Arizona could be running a laptop farm
2:04
on behalf of the North Korean
2:06
government. I think that is the first
2:08
shocking, but it also shows that this
2:10
can happen anywhere in the US.
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Chapman posted frequently on Tik Tok
2:15
showing laptops in the background.
2:17
My clients are going crazy.
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Her posts getting more emotional after
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her arrest in 2023. Just when I think
2:25
something might be going in my favor,
2:29
it goes terribly.
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Chapman's former neighbors say it's made
2:33
them think twice about who's next door.
2:35
I hope the houses or neighbors two
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houses down that way aren't selling
2:38
information to Russia or something.
2:42
The FBI says some of those North Korean
2:44
workers even tried to get jobs at
2:46
government agencies, but were thankfully
2:48
discovered. Chapman defraed the DHS,
2:51
IRS, and SSA while playing her part in
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it.
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And Taylor, did Chapman express any
2:56
remorse for anything?
2:57
Yeah, Brian, she actually wrote a letter
2:59
to the judge expressing some remorse,
3:01
but she had a lot more to say. Take a
3:03
look. She said in part, "When I got this
3:05
job, I was looking for a job that was
3:07
Monday through Friday that would allow
3:08
me to be present for my mom on the
3:10
weekends at her property where I lived.
3:12
The area where we lived didn't provide
3:14
for a lot of job opportunities that fit
3:16
what I needed. I also thought that the
3:18
job was allowing me to help others. She
3:20
even talked about the possible plans
3:22
outside of prison. Chapman goes on to
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say she wants to continue writing and
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wants to start her own underwear
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company.
3:30
Oh, didn't see that coming.
3:31
No, not at all. I mean, she clearly has
3:33
that American entrepreneurial.
3:35
Sure. Yes, she does. Uh, international
3:37
intrigue in Litzfield Park. Who knew?
3:40
Thanks, St.
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