Florida man to plead guilty to role in cybercriminal marketplace shut down by US government

A Florida man is scheduled to plead guilty to his role in a cybercriminal marketplace where hackers bought and sold stolen databases, malicious software and other products that could cripple or steal information from computers and cellphones.

Federal authorities in Pittsburgh say 12 people in the United States were charged in connection with the site, Darkode.com. They say roughly 70 cybercriminals in the U.S. and 19 other countries were targeted.

Authorities say 27-year-old Naveed Ahmed, of Tampa, is part of a three-person team who used software to bombard people's cellphones with spam text messages and break into routers in developing nations.

Online federal court records don't list an attorney for him.

He's scheduled to waive an indictment and plead guilty Tuesday afternoon before a federal judge in Pittsburgh.