(Bloomberg) — U.S. authorities said Friday they have charged a dual Russian and Israeli national in connection with his alleged participation in the LockBit ransomware group and are seeking his extradition.
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Rostislav Panev worked as a developer and coder for LockBit since about January 2022 and received approximately $230,000 in cryptocurrency transfers for his efforts, according to Justice Department indictments released Friday. The 51-year-old was arrested in Israel in August and is being held there while US prosecutors pursue his extradition in court, the ministry said in a statement.
LockBit has been linked to a series of ransomware attacks, in which hackers lock victims’ data or disable their systems until they pay an extortion fee. LockBit’s victims include Boeing Co., the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and Britain’s Royal Mail.
According to a lawyer for Panev, he worked as a professional software developer who corresponded with LockBit via the messaging app Telegram. Panev developed tools at the group’s request without any knowledge of the software’s intended use and has cooperated with law enforcement agencies to provide information, attorney Sharon Nahari said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg News.
Law enforcement officials in Britain and the US seized websites and servers used by LockBit members and affiliates in February. Police have also obtained victim data and thousands of decryption keys, and have urged victims to contact the agency for assistance in recovering their stolen data.
“We continue to search and conduct technical analysis of that data, looking for any individuals who were part of the LockBit ecosystem,” said Brett Leatherman, deputy assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
A number of alleged LockBit members have been identified in recent months, including its alleged leader, who was accused by the US of making at least $100 million in illegal revenue.
–With help from Jake Bleiberg.
(Updates with comments from FBI official in penultimate paragraph)
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