US reveals charges against alleged LockBit ransomware developer

By Emma Roth , a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.

The US government has charged a dual Russian and Israeli national with allegedly building and maintaining LockBit’s malware code, while receiving over $230,000 in cryptocurrency for his work. The 51-year-old Rostislav Panev was arrested in Israel pending extradition to the US, making him the third member of the LockBit ransomware group in custody.

Authorities previously arrested other alleged members of the LockBit group, including Mikhail Vasiliev and Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov, both of whom have pleaded guilty to various charges, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud.

Authorities are still searching for Lockbit’s alleged ringleader, Dmitry Khoroshev, with a reward worth up to $10 million. The DOJ claimed in May that “Khoroshev alone allegedly received at least $100 million in disbursements of digital currency through his developer shares of LockBit ransom payments,” based on a 20 percent share of ransom payments extorted by affiliates who used the group’s software.

Leave a Comment