A Latvian national once listed as the FBI’s fifth most wanted cybercriminal has admitted to orchestrating a malicious scareware scheme that infected thousands of visitors to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s website. Peteris Sahurovs, aka “Piotrek” aka “Sagade,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in federal court in Minnesota, capping a years-long international manhunt.
Sahurovs admitted that from February 2010 to September 2010, he provided domain registration, technical support, and bullet-proof hosting services for a cyberattack that hijacked an online ad on startribune.com—a Best Western promotion that quickly turned sinister. By February 21, 2010, just two days after the ad launched, unsuspecting users began downloading malware disguised as a Windows Security Alert, freezing their systems and bombarding them with pop-ups claiming their computers were infected.
The scam pushed victims to buy a fake antivirus program called “Antivirus Soft” for $49.95, which did nothing but line the hackers’ pockets. Sahurovs knew his Latvia-based hosting service was a haven for cybercriminals, leasing server space to those distributing malware, spam, and botnets. Despite repeated warnings from watchdogs like Spamhaus, he shielded these operations for profit, ensuring they stayed online and undetected.
U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker stated, “With this guilty plea, Mr. Sahurovs has taken responsibility for perpetrating a malicious cyber-fraud scheme on visitors of the Minneapolis Star Tribune website.” He emphasized the Justice Department’s resolve to pursue digital predators who exploit public trust in major media outlets. “We are committed to prosecuting cyber criminals who use sophisticated schemes such as this to victimize internet users,” Brooker said.
FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton called the breach especially dangerous: “This particular scheme was dangerous on several levels, especially the use of a website belonging to a media institution.” He warned that attacks on news platforms threaten public access to information—a core tenet of democracy. “The FBI is committed to identifying these and other cyber criminals, and, with the help of our domestic and foreign partners, will work tirelessly to catch them no matter where they hide.”
Arrested in Latvia in 2011, Sahurovs was released by a local court and vanished. He resurfaced in Poland in 2016, where he was apprehended and extradited to the U.S. in June 2017. A $50,000 reward had been offered for his capture. Sentencing is scheduled for June 6 before District Judge Ann D. Montgomery. The case underscores the global reach of cybercrime—and the relentless pursuit required to bring hackers to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Russian Hacker Senakh Admits to Global Botnet Fraud · Minnesota
- Ex-Railroad IT Worker Gets Over a Year for Network Sabotage · Minnesota
- Femi Banjo, 2 Others Indicted in $16.4M Cyber Tax Fraud · Minnesota
- John Michael Musbach Charged in Dark Net Hitman Plot · Minnesota
- Purdy Pleads Guilty · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
CybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrimeCybercrime