US Sentences REvil Affiliate and Jails Karakurt Operative in Ransomware Crackdown

The United States sentenced Yaroslav Vasinskyi (Rabotnik), a Ukrainian affiliate of the Sodinokibi/REvil ransomware operation, to 13 years and 7 months in prison for his role in more than 2,500 attacks that collectively sought over $700 million in ransom payments. Prosecutors said the scheme encrypted victim networks, threatened to leak stolen data, and used cryptocurrency exchangers and mixing services to launder proceeds; the court also ordered more than $16 million in restitution. U.S. authorities said related forfeiture actions recovered assets including 39.89138522 Bitcoin and $6.1 million, and credited cooperation with Polish authorities for Vasinskyi’s extradition and prosecution.

In a separate but related enforcement action, Deniss Zolotarjovs, a Latvian national tied to the Karakurt extortion operation and linked by investigators to the broader Conti ecosystem, was sentenced to 102 months in prison after U.S. prosecutors accused him of helping pressure victims with stolen data, reviving unresolved extortion cases, and laundering cryptocurrency. Authorities said the Russian-linked group targeted more than 54 companies worldwide, including victims whose stolen records included sensitive medical information, and generated losses exceeding $56 million across 13 victims with roughly $13 million more paid by 41 additional companies. The cases underscore sustained cross-border law enforcement action against ransomware and data-extortion actors operating through Russia-linked criminal networks.