A member of a notorious Russian cybercrime group has been charged federally and appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati today.
A federal grand jury has indicted Deniss Zolotarjovs, 33, of Moscow, Russia, on charges of conspiring to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and Hobbs Act extortion.
“It is alleged that Zolotarjovs was an active member of the Russian cybercrime group, communicating with other members, laundering cryptocurrency received from victims, and extorting victims. Zolotarjovs is the first alleged group member to be arrested and extradited to the United States.”
Law enforcement in the nation of Georgia detained Zolotarjovs in December 2023, and he has been in custody ever since. He was extradited to the United States this month.
According to court documents, Zolotarjovs is a member of a known cybercriminal organization that attacks computer systems of victims around the world. The group steals victim data and threatens to release it unless the victim pays ransom in cryptocurrency.
The group maintains a leaks and auction website that lists victim companies and offers stolen data for download.
Zolotarjovs is alleged to have been an active member of the Russian cybercrime group, communicating with other members, laundering cryptocurrency received from victims, and extorting victims. He is the first alleged group member to be arrested and extradited to the United States.
Investigation and Extradition Efforts
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges.
The FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Richmond, and Salt Lake City played vital roles in the investigation, and officials in Georgia assisted with the extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney Painter is representing the United States in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs significantly assisted in securing Zolotarjovs’s extradition from Georgia.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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