August 22, 2024 at 09:09AM
Deniss Zolotarjovs, a member of the Russian Karakurt ransomware group, has been charged in the U.S. for money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion crimes. As a key negotiator for the group, he was involved in multiple cases of extortion impacting American organizations. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a significant fine.
Key Takeaways:
– Deniss Zolotarjovs, a 33-year old Latvian national living in Moscow, has been arrested and extradited to the U.S. for his involvement in the Karakurt ransomware group’s cybercriminal activities, which include money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion.
– Zolotarjovs operated under the alias “Sforza_cesarini” and was responsible for negotiating “cold case extortions” for Karakurt, resulting in considerable sums of money being paid to the group by victimized companies.
– The FBI has linked Zolotarjovs with at least six cases of extortion impacting American organizations between August 2021 and November 2023. He was identified through cryptocurrency tracing, communication analysis, and data obtained from search warrants executed on Rocket.Chat.
– Karakurt is a cyber gang that primarily focuses on data exfiltration and extortion without using encryption tools in their attacks. They operate a leaks and auction website to list victim companies and offer stolen data for download.
– Zolotarjovs faces a potential maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the mentioned crimes, in addition to substantial fines. His arrest and extradition represent a significant success in the fight against cybercrime and could lead to the identification and prosecution of more Karakurt members in the future.