Russian Accused of Laundering Cryptocurrency From Ransomware Attacks Extradited to US

A Russian nationalist suspected of laundering ransomware payments successful cryptocurrency connected behalf of cybercriminals targeting hospitals has been extradited to the U.S. by the Netherlands. The antheral was allegedly progressive successful the transgression enactment for a play of 3 years earlier his apprehension successful Amsterdam past November.

Alleged Russian Money Launderer Handed Over to U.S. Custody by Dutch Authorities

Denis Dubnikov, a 29-year-old Russian citizen, has been extradited this week from the Netherlands to the United States, wherever helium is to look charges of wealth laundering successful the District of Oregon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successful Portland and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

Dubnikov made his archetypal quality successful national tribunal connected Wednesday and a five-day assemblage proceedings has been scheduled to statesman connected Oct. 4. In August, a national expansive assemblage successful Portland charged him for his relation successful an planetary crypto wealth laundering conspiracy.

According to the indictment, the Russian and his accomplices person knowingly and intentionally laundered the proceeds of ransomware attacks connected individuals and organizations, passim the United States and successful different countries, betwixt astatine slightest August 2018 and August 2021.

The perpetrators specifically laundered ransom payments extracted from victims of Ryuk ransomware attacks. First identified 4 years ago, Ryuk is simply a benignant of bundle that encrypts files and attempts to delete strategy backups, which has been linked to a Russian ransomware group. Hospitals and healthcare providers successful the U.S. person go its victims successful the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In July 2019, Dubnikov allegedly laundered much than $400,000 successful Ryuk ransom proceeds, the DOJ said successful a statement. Those progressive successful the conspiracy laundered astatine slightest $70 cardinal successful total. If convicted, the Russian whitethorn get a maximum condemnation of 20 years successful prison.

Denis Dubnikov was detained successful Amsterdam connected Nov. 1, 2021. Speaking to Russian media astatine the time, his lawyer Arkady Bukh alleged that helium was “practically kidnapped” by U.S. instrumentality enforcement successful Mexico earlier being transferred to Europe.

The co-founder of the coin trading platforms Coyote Crypto and Eggchange was archetypal held astatine the airdrome successful Mexico City, wherever helium arrived connected vacation, and past enactment connected a formation to the Netherlands wherever helium was arrested by Dutch authorities.

Dubnikov’s extradition follows a akin improvement successful the lawsuit of Alexander Vinnik, the alleged relation of the infamous cryptocurrency speech BTC-e. Vinnik was apprehended successful the summertime of 2017 successful the Greek metropolis of Thessaloniki wherever helium arrived connected a summertime vacation with his family. He was arrested connected a warrant from the U.S. which accuses him of laundering astatine slightest $4 cardinal done the now-defunct crypto trading platform.

The Russian IT specializer was archetypal handed implicit to the French judiciary which sentenced him to 5 years successful situation for wealth laundering. After helium served his word successful France, Vinnik was returned to Greece and extradited to the U.S. The hasty transportation angered his lawyers who deliberation helium volition go a “hostage” of the existent geopolitical tensions surrounding the warfare successful Ukraine. Meanwhile, Moscow accused Washington of conducting a “real hunt for Russian citizens.”

Do you expect different Russians, perchance progressive successful crypto-related amerciable activities, to beryllium extradited to the U.S.? Tell america successful the comments conception below.