CONCORD – The Ukrainian man caught buying electronics in New Hampshire with gift cards obtained through the fraudulent actions of a criminal organization based in Russia was sentenced Wednesday to 16 months in prison.

Yuriy Khalabuda, 37, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph DiClerico in the federal court in Concord to be sentenced on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to court records, the international syndicate Khalabuda worked for ripped off people in California, Arizona, and Florida for more than $200,000. The syndicate lured in people looking for jobs online by offering them a new job. Once hired by a bogus company, the victims were told to purchase gift cards from Best Buy and other retailers. These cards were supposed to be used to set up the new offices for the employees.

Instead, they were sent off to other members of the syndicate.

“The criminal conduct involved in this case caused serious financial harm to many innocent victims,” U.S. Attorney Scott Murray said.

Khalabuda was caught in Salem buying Apple products at the Best Buy. Khalabuda purchased the products at various locations every day, and shipping them off to others in the syndicate every night, as part of the plan to eventually turn the gift cards into cash for the syndicate.

Salem Police Detective Sgt. Eric O’Brien caught Khalabuda in New Hampshire with instructions from his foreign-based compatriots to purchase electronic goods with the gift cards. The gift cards Khalabuda had were purchased by victims the California, Arizona, and Florida victims, according to court records.

A store security clerk alerted O’Brien to Khalabuda’s suspicious purchases in May 2017 when the investigator was in the store making personal purchases.

Police stopped Khalabuda and allegedly found the gift cards, as well as instructions written to him in Russian on his phone. The translated messages show Khalabuda had specific instructions for making purchases with the gift cards in New Hampshire. He was even to only sleep at designated safe houses instead of hotels.

“If caught, let us know any way possible. Keep silent. Don’t say a word. Tell them you don’t understand and need an interpreter,” one text message states. “Sooner you notify us, the sooner we can find an attorney. Hope this never happens to you.”

So far, there have been no other arrests associated with the crime syndicate. Khalabuda claimed during his plea hearing earlier this year that he did no know about the victims.