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Sodinokibi/REvil Affiliate Sentenced for Role in $700M Ransomware Scheme

May 1, 2024 · Sourced to the U.S. Department of Justice

This case reached the sentenced stage in the Department of Justice's public record. Everything below reflects only what the government itself announced, and links to the original release.

A Ukrainian national was sentenced today to 13 years and seven months in prison and ordered to pay over $16 million in restitution for his role in conducting more than 2,500 ransomware attacks and demanding over $700 million in ransom payments.

Announced

May 1, 2024

Forfeiture

$6.1M

Status

Sentenced

Defendants

  • Yaroslav Vasinskyiage 24 · sentenced

Charges

  • Conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers

    Yaroslav Vasinskyi· pleaded guilty

  • Damage to protected computers

    Yaroslav Vasinskyi· pleaded guilty

  • Conspiracy to commit money laundering

    Yaroslav Vasinskyi· pleaded guilty

Financial actions

  • restitution: over $16 millionRestitution ordered for role in conducting more than 2,500 ransomware attacks and demanding over $700 million in ransom payments
  • forfeiture: 39.89138522 Bitcoin BTCForfeiture of ransom payments traceable to alleged ransom payments received by members of the conspiracy
  • forfeiture: $6.1 millionForfeiture of U.S. dollar funds traceable to alleged ransom payments received by other members of the conspiracy

From the announcement

As this sentencing shows, the Justice Department is working with our international partners and using all tools at our disposal to identify cybercriminals, capture their illicit profits, and hold them accountable for their crimes,
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Deploying the REvil ransomware variant, the defendant reached out across the globe to demand hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S. victims,
Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
But this case shows the Justice Department’s reach is also global—working with our international partners, we are bringing to justice those who target U.S. victims, and we are disrupting the broader cybercrime ecosystem.
Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
Today, the FBI’s close collaboration with our worldwide partners has again ensured that a cybercriminal who thought he was beyond our reach faces the consequences of his actions,
Christopher Wray, Director, FBI
We will continue to relentlessly pursue cyber criminals like Vasinksyi wherever they may hide, while we disrupt their criminal schemes, seize their money and infrastructure, and target their enablers and criminal associates to the fullest extent of the law.
Christopher Wray, Director, FBI
Yaroslav Vasinskyi and his co-conspirators hacked into thousands of computers around the world and encrypted them with ransomware,
Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Then they demanded over $700 million in ransom payments and threatened to publicly disclose victims’ data if they refused to pay. Although the conspirators attempted to cover their tracks by laundering the payments from victims, Vasinskyi could not hide from law enforcement. Vasinskyi’s sentence today should serve as a reminder to ransomware actors everywhere: we will track you down and bring you to justice.
Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Using ransomware, malicious actors from around the globe can paralyze U.S. companies in a matter of minutes,
Leigha Simonton, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Department of Justice
But as cybercriminals work together to deploy these attacks, law enforcement throughout the United States stands ready to dismantle their criminal enterprises. The dedicated prosecutors from the Northern District of Texas and the skilled agents at the FBI Dallas Field Office proved once again today to ransomware actors everywhere: When you hit targets in the United States, the Justice Department and its partners will come after you.
Leigha Simonton, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Department of Justice

Investigating agencies

Federal Bureau of InvestigationU.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of TexasU.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property SectionU.S. Department of Justice, Criminal DivisionU.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

Case details

Prosecuting office
Northern District of Texas
Assets
Bitcoin
Asset ForfeitureCryptocurrencyCybercrime ProsecutionInternational CooperationMoney LaunderingRansomwareRestitutionVictim Extortion And Data Exposure

Primary source

Every fact above is drawn from the Department of Justice's own announcement — a public-domain government record.

Read the original DOJ release →

This is a research and reference page compiled from public DOJ announcements, not legal advice. Details reflect the government's statements as of its release date and may not capture later developments such as appeals, dismissals, or overturned convictions. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.