Special Counsel Robert Mueller has obtained a guilty plea in his Russia probe – this time from a California man who helped other people get around security features of online payment accounts.

Mueller's office released the criminal information on Richard Pinedo Friday afternoon, shortly after deputy attorney general Rosenstein announced charges against 13 Russians accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential election.

According to the government, Pinedo sold bank account numbers, which he set up himself or secured online. Many of the accounts he bought were created using stolen identites – allowing users to 'circumvent the security features of large online digital payment companies.'

His actions were used to aid and abed 'unlawful activity' that was not laid out in his plea agreement.

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller has obtained a guilty plea from a California man for identity fraud in connection with the Russia probe

However, shortly before it was released, Mueller's office released an indictment describing an elaborate scheme whereby Russians tried to influence the elections, in part by duping Americans and paying to promote rallies through advertisements and other means.

As part of the effort, Russians paid 'real Americans,' Rosenstein said Friday.

Documents relating to Pinedo do not name the company whose security got violated, but Rosenstein said in announcing the indictments of Russians that they relied on PayPal to transfer money, purchase Facebook ads, and otherwise engage in propaganda to try to affectthe presidential election.

Pinedo's guilty plea is the third obtained by Mueller.

Although the feds said he didn't directly register accounts based on stolen identities, he 'he willfully and intentionally avoided learning about the use of stolen identities.'

He earned $1,000 in a year through his activities. He aided and abetted users who were able to get around an unidentified company's security requirements. It is identified only as 'Company 1.'

According to the government's statement of offense, Pinedo 'frequently' bought bank accounts from outside the U.S.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announces the indictment of 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian organizations for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election February 16, 2018 at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. The indictments are the first charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller while investigating interference in the election

Pinedo 'knowingly transferred, possessed, and used, without lawfuI authority, hundreds of bank account numbers to aid and abet, and in connection with, the use of the wires in interstate and foreign commerce to defeat security measures employed by Company l.

He personally collected 'tens of thousands of dollars' through the sale of the accounts,' according to the government.

According to the ID fraud charge, 'From approximately 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 that constitutes a violation of Federal law, to wit, wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

'As a result of the offense, PINEDO obtained $1,000 or more during a one-year period,' the government said.