Report: Hacker pleads guilty to fraud case

Boston A computer hacker who helped orchestrate the theft of tens of millions of credit- and debit-card numbers from major retailers in one of the largest such thefts in U.S. history pleaded guilty Tuesday in the last of three cases brought by federal prosecutors, according to the Associated Press.

Albert Gonzalez, a one-time federal informant from Miami, faces a prison sentence of up to 25 years under the terms of separate plea agreements. He is tentatively scheduled for sentencing in March.

Tuesday's plea stemmed from a case that was originally brought by federal prosecutors in New Jersey, but later transferred to Boston. It charged Gonzalez with conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computer servers at Hannaford Brothers, 7-Eleven, Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey-based processor of credit and debit cards; and two unnamed companies.

Gonzalez pleaded guilty in September in two other cases that were combined in Boston. Those cases included charges that he hacked into the computers of prominent retailers such as TJX Cos., BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Barnes & Noble and Sports Authority.