US Sentences Russian Hacker to 6.75 Years for Role in $9M Ransomware Hack
A 26-year-old Russian citizen has been sentenced in the US to 6.75 years (81 months) in prison for his role in helping major cybercrime groups, including Yanluowang ransomware crew, in many attacks against US companies and other organizations.
According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), Aleksei Olegovich Volkov facilitated dozens of ransomware attacks across the US, resulting in over $9 million in actual losses and over $24 million in targeted losses. Volkov was arrested on January 18, 2024, in Italy and extradited to the US to face charges. He pleaded guilty in November 2025.
Volkov allegedly served as the first access broker responsible for gaining unauthorized access to the networks and systems of various organizations and selling that access to other criminal groups, including ransomware actors. This is accomplished by exploiting vulnerabilities or finding ways to access networks without authorization.
“Volkov’s associates then used the method provided by Volkov to infect the affected networks and computer systems with malware,” the DoJ said. “This malware hides victims’ information and prevents victims from accessing it, harming their business operations.”
“The conspirators then demand that the victims pay a ransom in cryptocurrency – sometimes in the tens of millions of dollars – to restore the victims’ access to the data and promise not to publicly disclose the hack or release the stolen data of the victims on the ‘leaked’ website.”
Every time the victim paid the ransom, Volkov received a portion of the ill-gotten gains. He was charged with unlawful transfer of identification, hacking of login credentials, hacking of login devices, and aggravated identity theft, in addition to two counts of computer fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As part of the plea, the defendant agreed to pay full restitution to the victims, including at least $9,167,198 to known victims to compensate them for their actual losses, and to forfeit the tools used to carry out the crime.
US Charges Third Party Ransomware Linked to BlackCat Attacks
The revelations come as US prosecutors charged a third party with negotiating the BlackCat (also known as ALPHV) ransomware gang, which helped attackers extract large payments from at least 10 victims. A 41-year-old man, Angelo Martino (identified only as “Co-Conspirator 1”), worked as a ransomware consultant for DigitalMint.
Authorities seized approximately $9.2 million in five types of cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Monero, Ripple, Solana, and Stellar) from 21 wallets controlled by Martino, in addition to seizing luxury cars and properties. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Two others who responded to the incident, Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to BlackCat.
In a statement shared with The Record, DigitalMint said these actions violated the company’s policy and ethics, and terminated both Martino and Martin after their behavior came to light.
“DigitalMint condemns the criminal behavior of these people, which is a clear violation of our values, our moral standards, and the law,” it said. “Our firm and industry exist to support organizations suffering the effects of a cyberattack, and this is completely the opposite of what we stand for.”
