A Canadian hacker forfeits millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin (BTC) to the US government while facing a multi-year prison sentence.
According to a new Department of Justice (DOJ) press release, 35-year-old Sebastian Vachon-Desjardins has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the NetWalker ransomware attacks and also ordered to hand over $21.5 million of his leading digital asset.
Authorities claim that Vachon-Desjardins was the mastermind behind the NetWalker hacks, which targeted victims around the world by encrypting and exfiltrating information from Windows-based systems and demanding a ransom in BTC in return for decrypting the data .
Bad Actor victims have included corporations, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and educational providers such as colleges, universities, and school districts.
The hacker also specifically targeted healthcare providers during the Covid-19 pandemic to use the troubled times to blackmail victims, according to the press release.
As Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division noted,
“The defendant identified and attacked high value ransomware victims and capitalized on the chaos caused by encrypting and stealing victims’ data.
Today’s ruling shows that ransomware actors face serious consequences for their crimes and illustrates the Department’s unwavering commitment to prosecuting actors involved in ransomware programs.”
At the time of his arrest in January 2021, authorities were raiding Vachon-Desjardin’s home and seizing approximately $544,000 and 719 BTC, which is worth approximately $14.5 million at the time of writing.
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