sentencing

It Was a Good Week to Be a Federal Prosecutor

John Z Black Mar 29, 2026

Ransomware & Cybercrime #yanluowang #ransomware #botnet #doj #sentencing #cybercrime-enforcement #cisco #aleksei-volkov #ilya-angelov #ta551

Two cybercrime sentences landed in the same week: 81 months for the access broker who sold entry into Yanluowang's victims, and 2 years for the operator of the Mario Kart botnet that extorted more than 70 US companies.

Mario Kart Got Two Years. The Guy Who Sold the Keys Got Nearly Seven.

John Z Black Mar 26, 2026

Ransomware & Cybercrime #russia #cybercrime #sentencing #ransomware #ta551 #initial-access-broker #doj

Two Russian cybercriminals were sentenced the same week. One ran a botnet that hit 72 US companies and got 2 years. The other sold network access to ransomware crews and got nearly 7. The gap says something real about how DOJ views the ransomware supply chain.

Russian 'Key Seller' Who Helped Ransomware Gangs Break Into Victims Gets Nearly 7 Years

John Z Black Mar 25, 2026

Ransomware & Cybercrime #ransomware #initial-access-broker #yanluowang #doj #sentencing #russia #cisco

Aleksei Volkov, a 26-year-old Russian initial access broker for the Yanluowang ransomware gang, was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution. He made one mistake: he left Russia.