A Canadian hacker is forfeiting thousands and thousands of {dollars} price of Bitcoin (BTC) to the U.S. authorities whereas dealing with a multi-decade jail sentence.
In accordance with a brand new press launch from the Division of Justice (DOJ), 35-year-old Sebastian Vachon-Desjardins has been sentenced to twenty years in jail for his function within the NetWalker ransomware assaults and in addition ordered to relinquish $21.5 million price of the main digital asset.
Authorities allege that Vachon-Desjardins was the mastermind behind the NetWalker hacks, which focused victims all around the world by encrypting and exfiltrating info from Home windows-based methods and demanding a ransom of BTC in trade for the decryption of the info.
Among the many unhealthy actor’s victims have been firms, municipalities, legislation enforcement companies, and schooling suppliers resembling faculties, universities and college districts.
The hacker additionally particularly focused healthcare suppliers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to make the most of the troubling instances to extort victims, in accordance with the press launch.
As said by Assistant Lawyer Basic Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Division’s Legal Division,
“The defendant recognized and attacked high-value ransomware victims and profited from the chaos brought on by encrypting and stealing the victims’ knowledge.
Right this moment’s sentence demonstrates that ransomware actors will face vital penalties for his or her crimes and exemplifies the Division’s steadfast dedication to pursuing actors who take part in ransomware schemes.”
On the time of his arrest in January 2021, authorities searched Vachon-Desjardins dwelling and seized roughly $544,000 and 719 BTC, price about $14.5 million at time of writing.
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