Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, Russian citizen and leader of LockBit.
Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
federal prosecutor Criminal charges were announced on Tuesday against Russian citizen Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev for allegedly creating, developing and managing the LockBit ransomware-as-a-service organization.
The U.S. State Department also proposed Award of US$10 million Information leading to the arrest and arrest of Khoroshev, 31, of Voronezh, Russia, was sought.
this Ministry of Finance Sanctions were also imposed on Khoroshev, blocking all property and interests he owns in the United States or by Americans.
The DOJ said the Lockbit group led by Khoroshev was at times “the most prolific ransomware group in the world,” targeting more than 2,000 victims, mostly in the United States, and stealing more than $500 million in ransomware. payments, and resulted in billions of dollars more in broader losses including lost revenue.
LockBit’s ransomware-as-a-service model licenses its software to other cybercriminals in exchange for a percentage of the ransom paid by victims, including “individuals, small businesses, multinational corporations, hospitals, schools, non-profits, critical Infrastructure and Government” and law enforcement agencies,” according to the Justice Department.
Khoroshev, also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit and putinkrab, was charged in a 26-count indictment in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, alleging that he personally embezzled at least $100 million from victims of the organization. Authorities said he typically received 20 percent of each ransom payment.
The charges were announced on Tuesday, three months after they were released. law enforcement In the UK, working with the Department of Justice, the FBI and other international agencies, public websites used by LockBit were seized and servers used by the group’s administrators were seized.
The Justice Department said LockBit infrastructure seized by law enforcement in February showed “Khoroshev retained copies of data stolen from LockBit victims who had paid the ransom.”
Khoroshev is the sixth LockBit member to be charged with crimes related to the group. one of them, Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirovis being held in custody awaiting trial in a New Jersey federal court, while another, Mikhail Vasilyevis currently detained in Canada, awaiting extradition to the United States.
Khoroshev was charged with conspiracy to commit computer-related fraud, extortion and related activities; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; intentional damage to a protected computer; extortion of confidential information from a protected computer; and damage to a protected computer related to blackmail.
If convicted, he could face up to 185 years in prison.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement: “The LockBit ransomware group is one of the most prolific ransomware variants in the world, causing billions of dollars in damage and impacting critical infrastructure, including schools and hospitals. Infrastructure was wreaked havoc.
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