Security News > 2021 > December > US bags Russian accused of bagging millions after stealing pre-release financial filings

The US Attorney's Office of Massachusetts on Monday announced the extradition of Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian business executive with ties to the Kremlin, on charges of hacking US computer networks and committing securities fraud by trading on undisclosed financial data.

M-13, according to the US government's complaint, provided IT and media monitoring services, cyber security consulting, and penetration testing, and claimed prominent Russian government officials and agencies as clients.

From around January, 2018, through September, 2020, Klyushin, Ermakov, and Rumiantcev are said to have conspired with others to access the computer networks of two US companies authorized to file electronic documents with the SEC on behalf of corporate clients.

The charges against Klyushin - the only one of the alleged conspirators currently in custody - carry potential maximum sentences, if he's convicted, of: five years for conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to a computer and to commit wire fraud and securities fraud; five years for unauthorized access to a computer; and 20 years each for securities and wire fraud.

Following the Swiss court's decision to send Klyushin to the US and the rejection of Klyushin's appeal, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Twitter last week expressed dissatisfaction with the legal process.

"We are deeply disappointed by the ruling issued in Switzerland on the extradition of Russian citizen Vladislav Klyushin to the US," the Ministry said last week, noting that the Swiss had rejected the Russian Prosecutor General's request to return Klyushin to Russia and instead accepted "The highly questionable US allegations." .

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/12/20/russian_insider_trading/