Four North Korean nationals have been indicted in a case involving the theft and laundering of nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency. The individuals, Kim Kwang Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Jong Pong Ju, and Chang Nam Il, are accused of using fraudulent identities to secure remote IT jobs in order to execute their scheme.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the charges: "The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars." He emphasized the threat posed by North Korea to companies hiring remote IT workers.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg stated that these schemes aim to evade sanctions and support North Korea's illicit programs: "The Justice Department... will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks."
FBI Special Agent Paul Brown remarked on the operation's nature: "North Korean operatives used false identities to infiltrate companies and steal digital assets to fund their regime."
The indictment details how Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju obtained employment with a blockchain research company in Atlanta and a Serbian virtual token company under false pretenses. They later accessed significant virtual currency assets from their employers.
After acquiring approximately $915,000 worth of cryptocurrency through unauthorized means, the funds were laundered using a virtual currency mixer before being transferred into accounts controlled by Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il under aliases.
The four individuals were charged by a federal grand jury in Georgia on June 24, 2025. It is important to note that an indictment only includes charges; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.
This investigation is conducted by the FBI as part of the Department of Justice’s DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative launched in March 2024. This initiative focuses on targeting illicit revenue generation efforts by North Korea along with U.S.-based enablers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex R. Sistla alongside Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery are leading the prosecution.
For more information, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185.
