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Artem Lifshits, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Virginia 2020
A 27-year-old Russian national, Artem Mikhaylovich Lifshits, of St. Petersburg, Russia, has been slapped with charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal authorities announced today. The allegations center around a sophisticated scheme to pilfer the identities of unsuspecting Americans and use them to open fraudulent accounts at banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Lifshits is allegedly a manager within “Project Lakhta,” a Kremlin-backed operation dedicated to disrupting the U.S. democratic process and sowing discord amongst the electorate. Since at least 2014, Project Lakhta has operated through various fronts, including the notorious Internet Research Agency (IRA). The Translator Department, where Lifshits held a managerial role starting around January 2017, is reportedly the engine behind much of the group’s ongoing influence operations.
According to the criminal complaint, Lifshits and his co-conspirators systematically obtained identifying information from real U.S. citizens. This stolen data was then used to establish fraudulent bank and cryptocurrency accounts in the victims’ names. These accounts weren’t just a means to an end; authorities claim they served a dual purpose: fueling Project Lakhta’s political meddling *and* lining the pockets of those involved.
“Today’s charges allege that Russian national, Artem Lifshits, conspired with others to steal Americans’ identities and use them to open fraudulent bank and cryptocurrency accounts,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Lifshits participated in this fraud in order to further Project Lakhta’s malign influence goals and for his own personal enrichment. This case provides a clear illustration of how these malicious actors fund their covert foreign influence activities and Russia’s status as a safe-haven for cyber criminals who enrich themselves at others expense.”
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, G. Zachary Terwilliger, echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the brazen nature of the scheme. “Project Lakhta conspirators used the stolen identities of U.S. persons to further their goals of undermining faith in our democratic institutions and for personal gain,” Terwilliger said. “Artem Mikhaylovich Lifshits is yet another Russian national charged in the Eastern District of Virginia with engaging in a conspiracy that victimized real U.S. persons and institutions.”
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are leading the investigation, highlighting the increasingly blurred lines between traditional espionage and financial crime. “The Secret Service will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to bring transnational cyber criminals to justice,” said Matthew S. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office. The complaint explicitly states that no U.S. citizens knowingly participated in Project Lakhta’s influence operations. The investigation is ongoing, and further indictments are possible.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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