A 44-year-old Ukrainian man has been sentenced to four years in jail for his role in the now-defunct Conti ransomware operation.
Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko conspired with other members of the group to steal data from their victims and then extort them.
The Conti ransomware group attacked networks in 32 countries, including 47 US states, between 2020 and 2022, when the hackers disbanded over disagreements following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Conti is thought to have extorted ransom payments totalling more than US$150 million.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of ransomware and the department’s commitment to protecting America’s hospitals, schools, businesses and local governments,” Assistant Attorney General A Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a 10 September statement.
“For years, the Conti ransomware group executed a sustained and sophisticated campaign that victimised hundreds of organisations across the United States and abroad, including critical infrastructure entities, causing losses in the millions of dollars. Lytvynenko joined that conspiracy as both an intruder and a developer – personally harming at least 12 companies, storing stolen data from victims, and helping build the malicious tools Conti used to extort and threaten communities. Even after the Conti conspiracy ended, he continued engaging in active ransomware operations until his arrest. Cyber criminals who build, deploy or profit from malware like Conti – no matter where they operate – will face justice and meaningful consequences in US courts.”
Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said the sentence “reflects the gravity and extent” of Lytvynenko’s crimes.
“Ransomware criminals should know they are not anonymous and operating from overseas does not mean operating without consequences,” Leatherman said.
“The FBI and our partners will use every lawful tool to dismantle their infrastructure and bring them to justice.”
Lytvynenko pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on 10 June following his arrest in 2023 in Ireland, where he was residing at the time.
In a 2021 profile on the Conti operation, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre said it was “aware of multiple Australian victims” of the group, particularly organisations in the healthcare and energy sectors.
The group is thought to have compromised in excess of 500 organisations worldwide.
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