U.S. Court Sentences Russian Cybercriminal To 30 Months In Prison

By RFE/RL May 25, 2021

A U.S. court has sentenced a Russian citizen to 30 months in prison for his role in administering an online marketplace peddling stolen credit-card information and personal information to cybercriminals.

Kirill Victorovich Firsov was arrested in March 2020 as he arrived at JFK Airport in New York City for running Deer.io, a now-defunct Russian-based online platform that allows cybercriminals to buy and sell hacked stolen accounts.

U.S. prosecutors said over seven years the platform conducted sales exceeding $17 million, including at least $1.2 million in stolen U.S.-based information.

"This platform provided cybercriminals with easy access to the personal accounts and information of people around the world, including Americans," acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said.

"Stopping that flow of stolen information to criminals is critical to addressing the cybercrime threats facing our country, and we will prosecute those who are responsible."

In issuing the 30-month sentence on May 24, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant acknowledged that Firsov had been incarcerated in the United States for 15 months and that once released, he would likely be held in detention during deportation proceedings back to Russia.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-us-/31272220.html

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