(Jamaica Observer) Telecommunications giant Digicel was on Thursday identified in court as the entity which had its system hacked into and from which 26-year-old computer specialist and computer programmer Philpott Martin allegedly stole over J$10 million worth of call credit.

In outlining its case against Martin in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court, the Crown said that the suspect had gained access to Digicel’s system by way of another company to which he was employed.

Martin is said to have transferred the calling credit to other sim cards.
The Crown said also that the investigations were not yet complete as the figure Martin allegedly stole could be much more.

The court was also told that law enforcement authorities in the United States and Cayman Islands had an interest in Martin, a second-year computer science student at the University of Technology.

Martin was held at his Oakland Apartments home off Constant Spring Road in St Andrew on Saturday following a two-year investigation by detectives at the Organised Crime Investigation Division.

He is facing three counts of simple larceny and one count of conspiracy to defraud.
According to the police, J$600,000, believed to be the proceeds of recent crimes, was seized during the operation on Saturday. Computers, seven cellphones, financial records, documents and other items of furniture were also seized.

The investigation which led to Martin’s arrest was set in train by complaints from businesses and individuals whose computer networks were compromised through network intrusion, data interception, data and identity theft, according to the police.