A foreign national has recently pleaded guilty for their involvement in a cybercrime scheme that resulted in tens of millions of dollars in losses. The individual, a Ukrainian national, played a part in two separate, extensive schemes that led to significant financial losses.

"Vyacheslav Igorevich Penchukov was a leader of two prolific malware groups that infected thousands of computers with malicious software. These criminal groups stole millions of dollars from their victims and even attacked a major hospital with ransomware, leaving it unable to provide critical care to patients for over two weeks," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "Before his arrest and extradition to the United States, the defendant was a fugitive on the FBI’s most wanted list for nearly a decade. Today’s guilty pleas should serve as a clear warning: the Justice Department will never stop in its pursuit of cybercriminals."

According to a press release by the Department of Justice, Penchukov has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his leadership role in the IcedID malware group. He was arrested in Switzerland in 2022 and subsequently extradited to the United States in 2023. Penchukov faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count charged against him.

Penchukov assisted in leading an extensive racketeering enterprise that infected thousands of business computers with malicious software known as "Zeus". This software was used to capture bank account information, passwords, and additional data required to log into online bank accounts. Posing as employees of their victims, they would then manipulate the bank into making unauthorized transactions from these accounts. These unauthorized transactions resulted in millions of dollars in losses for the victims.