A Ukrainian national who fled to Ireland following the Russian invasion has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to his alleged involvement in Conti ransomware attacks.
The suspect, 43-year-old Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, along with his wife and child, was granted temporary protection in Ireland in 2022 after fleeing Ukraine due to the war.
However, Lytvynenko, who has been described as a lawyer by Irish news outlets, was arrested by Irish authorities in July 2023 at the request of the United States.
He has been in custody ever since, trying to fight the US’s attempt to have him extradited. He recently lost an appeal in an Irish court and has been extradited, with the US Justice Department announcing his initial appearance in a Tennessee court on Thursday.
Lytvynenko had argued that his extradition to the United States would violate his right to a fair trial. The man said he was unable to collect evidence and witnesses from Ukraine for his defense.
According to the Justice Department, the Ukrainian national was involved in Conti ransomware attacks between 2020 and June 2022, when the Conti operation shut down. However, authorities believe Lytvynenko was involved in cybercriminal activities up until his arrest in 2023.
Charges were filed against the man in Tennessee, where two victims of Conti attacks were extorted of more than $500,000 in cryptocurrency, and a third victim from this state, which presumably refused to pay a ransom, had its data made public.
Lytvynenko has been charged with computer fraud conspiracy, for which he faces up to five years in prison, and wire fraud conspiracy, for which he can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years.
Data collected by the FBI shows that the Conti ransomware operation made over 1,000 victims worldwide and obtained at least $150 million in ransom payments by January 2022.
The US in recent years announced charges against several Ukrainian and Russian nationals accused of being involved in ransomware attacks, and some of them have been sentenced to prison.
Authorities in Germany recently announced that a Russian national named Vitaly Nikolaevich Kovalev is believed to be the leader of the Conti and TrickBot cybercrime groups. Kovalev is apparently still at large.
Related: France Says Administrator of Cybercrime Forum XSS Arrested in Ukraine
Related: Scattered Spider Suspect Arrested in US
Related: Dutch Teens Arrested for Allegedly Helping Russian Hackers
