Fifteen of the defendants have also been charged with email fraud in the indictment, which alleges that they conspired to defraud telecommunications companies. The fraud, said to run between March 2003 and July 2009, also targeted financial institutions, leasing companies, and power companies, insurance firms, and even web developers.

The defendants fraudulently obtained goods including computer and telecommunications equipment, generators, and office space, along with services relating to their use, according to the FBI. They allegedly used shell companies to hide their identities.

"If convicted, the conspiracy charge carries a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine", the FBI said. Several defendants have also been charged with obstruction due to the hiding of assets and destruction of evidence.

Companies said to have been targeted by the fraud include AT&T, Verizon, XO Communications, SMARTnet VOIP, and Wells Fargo.

14 of the 15 defendants came from Texas. The others came from Illinois, Arizona, Canada, Louisiana, and Eastern Europe. Several of the defendants are believed to have fled the United States to avoid prosecution, the FBI said.

One of those named, Matthew Simpson, ran a Dallas-based ISP called Core IP. The FBI raided that company last April, prompting Simpson to publish a message declaring his innocence.