AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A former Fort Gordon soldier has been sentenced for his role in a scheme that gave North Korean workers access to U.S.-based computer networks.

Alexander Paul Travis, 35, of Augusta, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $193,265.

Also sentenced in the scheme were Jason Salazar, 30, and Audricus Phagnasay, 25, both of California. They were ordered to forfeit $409,876 and $681,926, respectively, and each got three years of probation.

Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, according to federal prosecutors.

“These men practically gave the keys to the online kingdom to likely North Korean overseas technology workers seeking to raise illicit revenue for the North Korean government – all in return for what to them seemed like easy money,” said U.S. Attorney Meg Heap. “These schemes present a significant challenge to our national security.”

Since 2003, United States and United Nations sanctions cut off North Korea from the U.S. marketplace and financial systems and restricted Americans from doing business with North Korean institutions.

North Korea responded with a variety of schemes to evade those sanctions, according to authorities. The revenues from those schemes contribute to North Korea’s weapons programs in violation of U.S. and U.N. sanctions, according to American authorities.

The defendants’ guilty pleas describe how they were contacted by overseas workers, and each defendant allowed those workers to:

• Create resumes in the defendants’ names with false information about their experience.
• Use those false representations and identities to obtain remote employment with U.S. companies.
• Pass employer vetting procedures, including video interviews, drug testing and fingerprinting.
• Open bank accounts in the defendants’ names to receive payment from the U.S. companies.

In each case, the defendant would receive a laptop computer from the company that hired the fictitious worker, and then would install unauthorized software to enable the overseas IT worker to access the computers remotely while appearing to work from the defendant’s address in the United States.

Travis, who was an active-duty member of the Army stationed at Fort Gordon at the time, received at least $51,397 for his participation in the scheme.

Phagnasay and Salazar earned at least $3,450 and $4,500, respectively.

The fraudulent scheme earned approximately $1.28 million in salary payments from the victim U.S. companies, the vast majority of which were sent to the IT workers overseas.

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Augusta, Ga.- Nathan Martin, Landon Leonard and Nolan Turner all homered as Augusta took down Georgia College 11-4 on Saturday afternoon at Jaguar Field. With the win, the Jaguars improve to 14-14 overall and 10-7 in Peach Belt Conference action. The Bobcats are now 12-16 overall and 8-9 in conference play.

AU struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. Aidan Cannaday picked up the first RBI on a bases loaded walk. Then, Harris Bachelder lifted a sacrifice fly for the early 2-0 lead.

After the Bobcats scored three in the top of the fourth, the Jags responded with four runs of their own. All the damage came with two outs as a costly GCSU error started the rally. Ryan Patrick reached on the error and then Maritn connected on a two-run homer. Turner would continue the rally with a triple. He would score when Leonard smoked a homer giving AU the lead.

An inning later, it was Turner again front and center with a three-run blast. Turner finished with a single, triple, and home run and scored three times. 

Leonard added two hits while Martin collected three hits and three runs driven in.

On the mound, Caleb Jatko went five innings to pick up the win. Jameson Whittier would do the rest with four innings of three-hit ball for his first save of the year. 

Augusta and Georgia College will finish out the three-game series with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags.

Augusta, Ga. – Augusta scored three runs in the first three innings, but it was not nearly enough as Georiga College knocked off the Jaguars 13-3 Friday in the first of a three game series. Augusta is now 9-7 in Peach Belt Conference play and 13-14 overall. The Bobcats improve to 8-8 in conference and 12-15 overall.

After giving up two runs in the first, AU got on the board when Roland Chance hit his fifth homer of the year, this one to right center making it a 2-1 game.

GCSU put a four spot on the board in the second and Augusta would get one back in the bottom of the second. Jake Vachon walked to start the inning and moved to second on a Mattheson Go single. With one out, Jakob Cowart would single home Go with the second AU run.

In the third, Harris Bachelder would pick up a two-out double. Aidan Cannaday would single him home for the Jags final run of the game.

Chance had three hits to lead the Augusta offense with Go picking up a pair of safeties. 

Carson Vick was the hitting start for the Bobcats with four hits, three doubles, four RBI and five runs scored.

Augusta and Georgia College will play again on Saturday with first pitch at 3:00 p.m. at Jaguar Field.

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags.