Another flip: Mueller announces indictment and guilty plea of identity fraudster Richard Pinedo in Trump investigation

Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday announced an indictment and guilty plea of Richard Pinedo for identity fraud.

The California man pleaded guilty to circumventing online payment security systems using stolen identities.

The indictment claims that "2014 through November 2017, defendant Richard Pinedo did knowingly transfer, possess, and use, in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, and without lawful authority, means of identification of other persons with the intent to commit, and to aid or abet, and in connection with, unlawful activity..."

A separate filing, stipulating facts, also identifies an online service run by Pinedo called "Auction Essistance." The service was designed to "circumvent the security features of large online digital payment companies."

Pinedo pleaded guilty on February 12 to one count of identity fraud and is cooperating with the special counsel.

The documents state that "hundreds of bank account numbers" where involved and Pinedo personally collected tens of thousands of dollars.

The announcement came shortly after a press conference by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, announcing indictments against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian groups.