Four REvil Hackers Sentenced: St. Petersburg Court Imposes Years in Penal Colony
REvil ransomware is the direct successor to the hacker operations associated with GandCrab, launching a coordinated attack in July 2021 against over 1,500 enterprises worldwide and seizing vast amounts of confidential data.
According to relevant statistics, REvil amassed $100 million in revenue through extortion activities within just a year, making it one of the most active ransomware groups at the time. However, under FBI surveillance, authorities obtained identifying information on several members, revealing that at least eight members were based in Russia. Subsequently, the U.S. government shared this intelligence with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) through international law enforcement channels.
In January 2022, the FSB successfully dismantled multiple ransomware groups operating within Russia, with raids conducted at 25 residential addresses. Fourteen group members were apprehended, and $6.6 million in assets was seized.
In a press release, the FSB stated that the operation was initiated at the request and complaints of U.S. authorities, as these criminals exploited malware, encrypted information, and extortion fees to compromise the information assets of foreign technology companies.
Recently, a St. Petersburg court tried four REvil members, convicting them of crimes including the illegal circulation of payment methods and the use and distribution of malicious programs. Artem Zayets was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, Alexey Malozemov to 5 years, Daniil Puzyrevsky to 5.5 years, and Ruslan Khansvyarov to 6 years.
Out of the 14 criminals arrested, eight ultimately appeared in court. The court held separate proceedings for the remaining four individuals, as additional criminal conduct was uncovered during the investigation. Russia’s Office of the Prosecutor General will initiate new criminal charges against them.
