Guilty pleaSouthern Texas
Former Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
Apr 16, 2018 · Sourced to the U.S. Department of Justice
This case reached the guilty plea stage in the Department of Justice's public record. Everything below reflects only what the government itself announced, and links to the original release.
A 28-year-old former employee of BP America Inc. has admitted he attempted to extort money from the company
Defendants
- George Koutsostamatis — age 28 · Chicago · pleaded guilty
Charges
Wire Fraud
Max: 20 years in federal prisonGeorge Koutsostamatis· pleaded guilty
Financial actions
- fine: $250,000 — Possible maximum fine faced at sentencing for wire fraud
- extortion demand: 125 bitcoins BTC — Amount demanded from BP in exchange for not releasing personal information
Investigating agencies
Federal Bureau of InvestigationFBI Houston Cyber Task ForceFederal Bureau of InvestigationU.S. Attorney's OfficeU.S. Attorney's OfficeNational Crime Agency
Case details
- Prosecuting office
- Southern District of Texas
- Judge
- Sim Lake, U.S. District Judge
- Assets
- BTC
CryptocurrencyCybercrimeData Privacy And Personal Information TheftExtortionInternational CooperationWire Fraud
Primary source
Every fact above is drawn from the Department of Justice's own announcement — a public-domain government record.
Read the original DOJ release →This is a research and reference page compiled from public DOJ announcements, not legal advice. Details reflect the government's statements as of its release date and may not capture later developments such as appeals, dismissals, or overturned convictions. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.