A Russian arrested in the US: he is involved in ransomware attacks on companies in the US and the world

A Russian citizen in the United States is accused of being involved in the deployment of numerous LockBit ransomware and other cyberattacks against victims' computer systems in the United States, Asia, Europe and Africa. This is stated on the website. US Department of Justice.

Photo: IStock

The accused, 20-year-old Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov from Chechnya, was arrested.

“This LockBit-related arrest is the second in six months. It underscores the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to bringing ransomware perpetrators to justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

From at least August 2020 to March 2023, Astamirov was involved in collusion with other members of the LockBit ransomware campaign to commit wire fraud and deliberately damage protected computers. The scammers demanded a ransom through the use and deployment of ransomware. In particular, Astamirov directly carried out at least five attacks on the computer systems of victims in the United States and abroad.

On the subject:

“Astamirov is the third defendant indicted in connection with the global LockBit ransomware campaign and the second defendant to be apprehended,” said District Attorney Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The LockBit conspirators and any other ransomware criminals cannot hide behind imagined online anonymity.”

The LockBit ransomware variant first surfaced around January 2020. LockBit actors have carried out more than 1400 attacks on victims in the United States and around the world, making over $100 million ransom demands and receiving at least tens of millions of dollars in actual ransom payments in bitcoin.

As part of his LockBit-related activities, Astamirov owned, controlled, and used various email addresses, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and online provider accounts that allowed him and his co-conspirators to deploy the LockBit ransomware and communicate with victims. In addition, in at least one case, law enforcement was able to trace part of the ransom payment by the victim to an address under Astamirov's control.

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Astamirov is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to intentionally damage secure computers and submit ransom demands. If found guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the first charge and a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the second. Both charges are punishable by a maximum fine of $250 or double the profits from the crime, whichever is greater.

There are two other cases related to LockBit. In November 2022, the department announced criminal prosecution against Mikhail Vasiliev, a citizen of Russia and Canada who is currently in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States. In May 2023, the department announced charges against Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev (aka Vazavaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselchin, aka Ukhodiransomvar) for his alleged participation in conspiracies to deploy variants of the LockBit, Babuk and Hive ransomware against victims in the United States and abroad .

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