A Belarussian and Ukrainian national charged in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland.
Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multi-year cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022.
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
This case reemphasizes the importance of both cybersecurity and our crucial law enforcement partnerships worldwide, said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. Online threats emerge within the digital ecosystem among those who exploit the very tools that help us connect and collaborate. In turn, we must maximize our investigative collaborations globally to address those threats. This investigation demonstrates the positive results of leveraging international partnerships to combat international crimes.
As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cyber criminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.
Maksim Silnikau, 38, is charged with cybercrime offenses in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes. The exact criminal charges include cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022, as well as his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
The defendant made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland. The exact date of the extradition and initial appearance is not provided in the source.
Related Federal Cases
- Maksim Silnikau, International Malvertising and Ransomware, New Jersey 2023 · Texas
- Anthony Clark, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, Texas 2024 · Texas
- Jackson Fleming, Transmitting a Threat in Interstate Communication, Indiana 2025 · Alabama
- Five Essex County Men Charged In Heroin Distribution Ring, New Jersey 2015 · New York
- Carlos A. Brown, Heroin Distribution, Virginia 2024 · Kentucky
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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