Two US residents who ran a 'notebook PC farm' that falsely identified North Korean workers as American workers have been sentenced to a combined 16 years in prison.
Two men from New Jersey have been sentenced to nine years and seven years and eight months in prison, respectively, for running a '
Office of Public Affairs | Two US Nationals Sentenced for Facilitating Fraudulent Remote Information Technology Worker Scheme that Generated $5M in Revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea | United States Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-us-nationals-sentenced-facilitating-fraudulent-remote-information-technology-worker
Two US citizens get combined 16 years in prison for running North Korean laptop farms — fake remote IT work scheme netted DPRK $5 million in around three years | Tom's Hardware
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/two-us-citizens-get-combined-18-years-in-prison-for-running-north-korean-laptop-farms-fake-remote-it-work-scheme-netted-dprk-usd5-million-in-around-three-years
North Korea uses stolen or fake identification cards to send agents to infiltrate American IT companies as remote workers, receiving regular salaries while stealing confidential information from their employers, such as military technology and cryptocurrencies. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 100 companies have been affected. In carrying out these operations, there have been cases where individuals residing in the U.S. operate 'laptop farms' with a large number of dummy laptops to make it appear as if the remote workers hired by companies are working in the United States. The following is an example of a laptop farm managed by a woman in Arizona, which reportedly had more than 90 laptops in operation.
In July 2025, Kezia Wang and Jensin Wang, both residents of New Jersey, were arrested and indicted for operating such laptop farms and assisting North Korea's plans. John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Agency of the Department of Justice, said, 'These methods target American companies for theft and are designed to circumvent sanctions and fund the North Korean government's malicious programs, including weapons development. The Department of Justice, together with law enforcement agencies, private companies, and international partners, intends to thoroughly investigate and dismantle these cyber-based profit-making schemes.'
The Department of Justice has uncovered a North Korean remote worker operation in which they infiltrated American IT companies and earned over 700 million yen - GIGAZINE
According to the Department of Justice, after Kejia Wang met with a former North Korean classmate who had devised the plan during a trip to China, she took charge of the US-based operation, directing five collaborators domestically, including Jenxin Wang, who managed hundreds of laptops at his home. The two defendants set up several shell companies to make their operations appear legitimate and receive profits, but in reality, the majority of the payments were sent to overseas conspirators, with the two defendants and four collaborators each receiving approximately $700,000 (approximately 110 million yen) for their respective roles.
On April 15, 2026, the Department of Justice handed down its verdict, sentencing Kezia Wang to 108 months in prison and Jensin Wang to 92 months. In addition, the court ordered each defendant to be placed on three years of probation, to confiscate a total of $600,000 (approximately 95 million yen) paid in exchange for providing favors to North Korea, and to pay Kezia Wang $29,236.03 (approximately 4.6 million yen) in damages.
'This case exposes a sophisticated scheme that exploited stolen American identities and American companies to generate millions of dollars for hostile foreign regimes. By operating a so-called 'notebook farm,' the defendants enabled foreign agents to infiltrate American companies, access classified data, and undermine the American economy and national security. The verdict handed down reflects the gravity of these actions and our determination to hold accountable those who circumvent sanctions and foster foreign threats from within our own country,' said Leah B. Foley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
Brett Leatherman, Deputy Director of the FBI's Cyber Division, also stated, 'This announcement sends a clear message: American citizens who support North Korea's IT talent dispatch program and divert profits to North Korea may face FBI investigation and imprisonment. The FBI will work closely with relevant agencies to track down accomplices and hold accountable those who attempt to deceive American companies and steal the identities of ordinary citizens in order to expand North Korea's influence.'
North Korea is operating fake businesses in the United States using laptop farms, and is also carrying out operations to steal information by having American and European companies hire fake IT engineers. To counter this threat, some companies and recruiters are employing strategies such as asking applicants who appear to be from North Korea to make 'insulting remarks about Kim Jong-un.'
A video of a job interview revealing a man to be a fake IT engineer from North Korea has gone viral. How was he identified as a North Korean agent? - GIGAZINE
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