US officials claim that a prominent, ten-year global computer hacking ring’s alleged mastermind hacker was extradited from Poland and is currently being held in US custody.
According to US officials, an alleged mastermind of a well-known, ten-year worldwide computer hacker has been extradited from Poland and is currently in US custody. The Justice Department said that Maksim Silnikau, 38, a dual citizen of Belarus and Ukraine, was ordered detained after appearing before a magistrate judge in Newark, New Jersey, on Monday. It added in a statement that Silnikau, who went by the internet aliases “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” “lansky,” and others, is accused of identity theft, computer hacking, and other offenses in Virginia and New Jersey.
“For over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam US businesses and consumers,” Lisa Monaco, deputy attorney general, said. In an indictment released on Monday, Volodymyr Kadariya, 38, a dual citizen of Belarus and Ukraine, and Andrei Tarasov, 33, a Russian national, are also accused of being co-conspirators in New Jersey.
In New Jersey, Silnikau is charged with dispersing the infamous Angler Exploit Kit, which was utilized to infect millions of gullible internet users’ computers between October 2013 and March 2022. Prosecutors claim that Angler made it possible for hackers to distribute malware by taking advantage of holes in plug-ins and web browsers. These included “malvertising” or “scareware” advertisements, which were deceptive messages that claimed a victim’s device was afflicted with a virus and misled them into downloading or purchasing risky software.
The software would grant hackers access to the device remotely or to sensitive financial or personally identifiable data. Silnikau is charged in Virginia with developing the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain in 2021, which gave hackers access to encrypt or “lock” infected machines. According to reports, in November 2021, a New York-based corporation and in March 2022, a California-based company were targeted by ransomware. The hackers removed confidential material and sought payment. Silnikau is accused of conspiracy to commit identity theft, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and other felonies in both New Jersey and Virginia. If found guilty, he may spend decades behind bars.
In an international operation led by the British National Crime Agency, he was apprehended by Spain’s Guardia Civil on July 18, 2023, in a residence in Estepona, Spain. On Friday, he was extradited to the US from Poland.
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