A Colombian citizen has been sentenced to nine years in prison for a complex computer fraud which affected more than 600 people.

Mario Simbaqueba Bonilla, 40, was also sentenced to three years supervised release on his exit from prison, and ordered to pay restitution of $347,000.

Simbaqueba Bonilla pleaded guilty in January to charges of conspiracy, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the charges Simbaqueba Bonilla, alone and in concert with a co-conspirator, engaged in a complex series of computer intrusions, identity thefts and credit card frauds designed to steal money from payroll, bank and other accounts.

The court recognised the attempted and actual loss from the scheme at $1.4m.

Much of the identity theft, initiated from computers in Colombia, targeted individuals residing in the US, including Department of Defense personnel.

Simbaqueba Bonilla used the money to buy expensive electronics and luxury travel and accommodation in various countries, including Hong Kong, Turks and Caicos, France, Jamaica, Italy, Chile and the US.

The man engaged in a conspiracy between 2004 to 2007 that began with illegally installing keystroke logging software on computers located in hotel business centres and internet lounges around the world.