Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov, Conspiracy to Introduce Malware, Nevada 2020

A Russian national pleaded guilty in federal court today for conspiring to travel to the United States to recruit an employee of a Nevada company into a scheme to introduce malicious software into the company's computer network.

According to court documents and admissions made in court, from July 15, 2020, to Aug. 22, 2020, Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov, 27, conspired with others to recruit an employee of a large U.S. company to transmit malware provided by the conspirators into the company's computer network.

Once the malware was installed, Kriuchkov and his co-conspirators would use it to exfiltrate data from the company's computer network and then extort the company by threatening to disclose the data.

"The swift response of the company and the FBI prevented a major exfiltration of the victim company's data and stopped the extortion scheme at its inception," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Criminal Division.

"This case highlights the importance of companies coming forward to law enforcement, and the positive results when they do so," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Criminal Division.

Kriuchkov pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10.

The investigation was led by the FBI Las Vegas Field Office with the assistance of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office; the FBI Sacramento Field Office; and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office in Nevada.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Counsel C.S. Heath and Trial Attorney Thomas Dettore of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Casper of the District of Nevada.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/russian-national-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-introduce-malware-us-company-s-computer-network