Russian Man Sentenced for Hacking into Computers in the United States
United States Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor announced today that ALEXEY V. IVANOV,
age 23, formerly of Chelyabinsk, Russia, was sentenced at the federal courthouse
in Hartford, Connecticut by United States District Judge Alvin W. Thompson.
IVANOV was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of forty-eight (48) months,
to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release.
IVANOV had previously pleaded guilty in these proceedings and admitted to
numerous charges of conspiracy, computer intrusion (i.e., "hacking"),
computer fraud, credit card fraud, wire fraud, and extortion. Those charges
stemmed from the activities of IVANOV and others who operated from Russia
and hacked into dozens of computers throughout the United States, stealing
usernames, passwords, credit card information, and other financial data, and
then extorting those victims with the threat of deleting their data and destroying
their computer systems. In sentencing IVANOV, the district judge described
his participation as a "manager or supervisor" in an "unprecedented,
wide-ranging, organized criminal enterprise" that "engaged in numerous
acts of fraud, extortion, and intentional damage to the property of others,
involving the sophisticated manipulation of computer data, financial information,
and credit card numbers." The district judge found that IVANOV was responsible
for an aggregate loss of approximately $25 million.
United States Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor stated: "This prosecution demonstrates
the ability and resolve of the Department of Justice to vigorously investigate
and pursue cybercriminals who attack American computer systems. We are committed
to tracking down and prosecuting those individuals wherever they may be."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark G. Califano and Shawn
J. Chen. Also involved in this multi-district investigation and prosecution
were Assistant United States Attorneys Arif Alikhan, Scott Christie, Mark
Krotoski, and Floyd Short, as well as retired Assistant United States Attorney
Stephen Schroeder.
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