The United States has charged Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a Russian national, for allegedly leading the notorious LockBit ransomware group, according to federal prosecutors. In a coordinated effort, the U.S. State Department has also offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Khoroshev’s arrest. The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Khoroshev, effectively freezing any U.S. assets and blocking all transactions with U.S. entities.
Khoroshev, believed to be the creator and administrator of the LockBit ransomware-as-a-service operation, is accused of targeting over 2,000 victims globally, primarily in the U.S., and extorting more than $500 million in ransom payments. The broader impact of these cyberattacks includes billions of dollars in additional losses, encompassing lost revenue and damages beyond the ransom payments themselves. LockBit’s business model involved licensing its malware to other cybercriminals who then carried out attacks, sharing a cut of the ransom with Khoroshev.
The indictment, issued by a grand jury in the District of New Jersey, includes 26 counts against Khoroshev, covering a range of offenses including wire fraud, intentional damage to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit fraud and extortion. These charges reflect his alleged personal gain of at least $100 million from the ransomware operations, where he reportedly retained a 20% commission on each ransom payment.
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