If convicted, Kelly faces a maximum of 32 years in prison, followed by three years on probation. Rothfuss faces up to 30 years in prison followed by three years of probation. Both men also face fines of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is highest, per count.

BL Trading faces restitution and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is highest, per count. However, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges after two years if the company cooperates with law enforcement officials, pays restitution, and adheres to a strict corporate compliance program designed to ensure that it does not purchase or sell stolen equipment and does not update used equipment without the manufacturer's agreement.

"Congress and the public have become increasingly concerned with the ease by which people can unlawfully obtain items and sell them over the Internet under false or assumed identities," U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, in a statement. "If accepted by the Court, the compliance program announced today will provide a model for online equipment resellers to ensure that their vendors are legitimate."

Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at or subscribe to . His e-mail address is .

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