Waqas reports:
A Ukrainian national accused of helping run one of the world’s most damaging ransomware operations, Conti, is now in US custody. After being extradited from Ireland, 43-year-old Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko made his first court appearance in the Middle District of Tennessee to face charges tied to the Conti ransomware group.
Prosecutors allege that between 2020 and 2022, Lytvynenko worked with others to spread Conti ransomware all over the globe. The group infiltrated computer systems, locked critical files, and demanded cryptocurrency payments to restore access and keep stolen data private.
It also became one of the most aggressive and profitable operations of its kind before breaking apart in 2022. The FBI estimates the group carried out more than a thousand attacks in 47 US states, Puerto Rico, and over 30 countries, collecting about 150 million dollars in ransom payments, more than any other ransomware strain targeting critical infrastructure at the time.
Read more at HackRead.
A press release from the Department of Justice yesterday indicated that Lytvynenko is charged with computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the computer fraud conspiracy and 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conspiracy. In September 2023, an indictment charging four other Conti conspirators was unsealed in the Middle District of Tennessee.