Hacker expected to plead guilty

By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff

Albert Gonzalez, the 28-year-old hacker accused of helping to orchestrate the biggest credit card theft in US history, is expected to plead guilty tomorrow to two charges related to the crime in US District Court in Boston.

In an indictment originally filed in New Jersey, prosecutors accused Gonzalez and his partners of stealing more than 130 million credit and debit cards by hacking into computer systems of several retailers, including the 7-Eleven Inc. chain of convenience stores, Maine-based supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers Co., and Heartland Payment Systems, a New Jersey company that processes credit card payments for thousands of stores and businesses.

Under a plea agreement filed last week, Gonzalez agreed to plead guilty to both counts in the indictment -- conspiracy and conspiracy to engage in wire fraud. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed not to seek a sentence of more than 25 years, while Gonzalez agreed not to seek a sentence of less than 17 years. Gonzalez originally faced up to 35 years in prison.

In addition, both parties agreed the sentence should run concurrently with any sentence imposed for two related cases pending in US District Court, in which Gonzalez is already facing 15 to 25 years in prison. Gonzalez pleaded guilty in September to charges of stealing tens of millions of credit cards from a number of retailers, including TJX Cos. of Framingham and BJ’s Wholesale Club of Natick. He also pleaded guilty to charges related to steal credit card numbers from Dave & Buster's, Inc., a national restaurant chain based in Dallas. Gonzalez is expected to be sentenced in the cases by US Judge Patti Saris on March 18.

The hearing tomorrow, involving Hannaford Brothers, Heartland, 7-Eleven and other retailers, will be held before US District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock.