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.