Joshua Samuel Aaron, 32, a U.S. citizen who had been living in Moscow, Russia, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on charges tied to one of the most audacious cybercrime campaigns in American history. Aaron, also known as ‘Mike Shields,’ is accused of helping orchestrate the largest theft of customer data from U.S. financial institutions ever recorded, hacking into dozens of banks, brokerage firms, and financial news publishers to fuel a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed charges against Aaron as part of a Superseding Indictment, S1 15 Cr. 333 (LTS), alongside co-defendants Gery Shalon, a/k/a ‘Garri Shalelashvili,’ ‘Gabriel,’ ‘Gabi,’ ‘Phillipe Mousset,’ and ‘Christopher Engeham,’ and Ziv Orenstein, a/k/a ‘Aviv Stein’ and ‘John Avery.’ The trio is charged with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, actual computer hacking, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud through securities market manipulation. Each hacking count carries a maximum 5-year prison term; the fraud conspiracies also carry up to 5 years each.
According to Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Aaron and Shalon ran their cyberattacks like a criminal enterprise—what Bharara called ‘hacking as a business model.’ The hackers infiltrated corporate networks, stole sensitive personal and financial data, and used it to manipulate stock prices from the shadows. The operation spanned years and compromised the personal information of millions of Americans, marking it as the largest breach of its kind in U.S. history.
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service led the international manhunt that culminated in Aaron’s takedown. FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. emphasized that the arrest brings accountability for crimes filed over a year and a half ago. ‘Josh Aaron was taken into custody to face justice for allegedly orchestrating a massive computer hack into the heart of American finance,’ Sweeney said. ‘This wasn’t just a digital break-in—it was a calculated assault on our financial system.’
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge David E. Beach hailed the arrest as a major disruption of a transnational cybercriminal network. ‘This successful deportation and arrest should serve as a warning,’ Beach said. ‘No matter where you hide, the Secret Service will relentlessly pursue those who target the nation’s financial infrastructure.’
Shalon and Orenstein were captured by Israeli authorities in July 2015 and extradited to the U.S. in June 2016. Aaron, the final fugitive, was deported to face trial. He was presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV and is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. The original charges were made public on November 10, 2015—now, all three defendants will stand together in a federal courtroom to answer for the cyber heist that shook Wall Street to its core.
Related Federal Cases
- Alonzo Knowles Gets 5 Years for Celeb Email Hack Scheme · New York
- Jon E. Montroll Charged with Lying to SEC Over Bitcoin Hack · Texas
- Joshua Ikejimba Sentenced in $8M Email Fraud Scheme · Texas
- Fantasy Sports Hack: Stokes Stole Tens of Thousands in Brazen Credential Stuffing Attack · New York
- $25M Ethereum Heist: Brothers Charged for 12-Second Blockchain Hack · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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