A former Navy couple from Selma pleaded guilty Monday to allegations they stole the personal information of thousands of people and sold it on the dark web for $160,000 in digital currency, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.

Marquis Hooper, 32, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. His co-defendant, Natasha Chalk, 39, was charged with conspiracy.

Both are scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston.

They face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the conspiracy convictions. Hooper also faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the wire fraud conviction, and two years in prison, consecutive to other counts, for the aggravated identity theft conviction.

Federal prosecutors said the couple used their positions in the Navy to siphon the personal information from thousands of people from a private company that normally restricts access to its database to businesses and government agencies with a proven and lawful need for the personal information, according to court records.

Investigators said the couple began their illegal venture in 2018 when Hooper was stationed in Japan as a chief petty officer with the Navy’s 7th Fleet. His wife was a reservist serving at Lemoore Naval Air Station in California.

Although Hooper separated from the Navy in October 2018 after a 10-year career, he was able to convince the private company that he was working on behalf of the Navy and needed access to their records to run background checks on sailors.

His scheme worked and within a few months, Hooper and Chalk were able to collect the personal information from more than 9,000 people. Prosecutors said they then sold the information on the dark web for $160,000.

Some of the personal information sold by Hooper and Chalk was used by thieves to try and withdraw money from people’s bank accounts, according to federal officials.