Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
A Russian national was sentenced on Mar. 24 to twenty-four months in prison after pleading guilty to operating a botnet used in ransomware attacks against dozens of American companies, according to United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Division.
The sentencing highlights ongoing concerns about international cybercrime targeting U.S. corporations and the financial impact such crimes have on victims.
Ilya Angelov, 40, from Tolyatti, Russia, received his sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds, who also imposed a $100,000 fine and ordered a money judgment of $1.6 million against him. Court records show that between 2017 and 2021 Angelov co-managed a Russia-based cybercriminal group known as Mario Kart by the FBI and under various other names by private researchers.
Angelov’s group created a network of compromised computers through malware-laden spam emails and sold access to these systems to other criminal organizations engaged in ransomware schemes. The FBI identified more than seventy American companies infected with ransomware linked to Angelov’s group, resulting in over $14 million paid in extortion demands.
“Foreigner cybercriminals like this defendant target American citizens and corporations. Their methods grow in sophistication. But their motive remains the same — to rip-off and harm us. We are grateful to the FBI and our other partners for their continued vigilance,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
Special Agent Runyan said: “May this sentencing serve as a strong message to cyber criminals who believe they can hide behind screens and false identities: you cannot escape the FBI’s reach. You will be held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Cyber Task Force with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
