Canadian Police Seize Bitcoin Worth $28 Million From Former Government Employee in Ransomware Case

Canadian Police Seize Bitcoin Worth $28 Million From Former Government Employee in Ransomware Case

Canada’s police have seized bitcoin price greater than $28 million from a former authorities worker who has been extradited to the U.S. to “face fees for dozens of ransomware assaults ensuing within the fee of tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in ransoms.”

Canadian Authority Seizes Bitcoin Worth $28 Million

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) introduced Thursday {that a} former Canadian authorities worker was extradited yesterday from Canada to the U.S. to “face fees for dozens of ransomware assaults ensuing within the fee of tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in ransoms.”

The DOJ detailed that from April by December 2020, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins “conspired to and did deliberately harm a protected laptop and transmit a ransom demand in reference to doing so.” The Justice Department launched a coordinated worldwide regulation enforcement motion to disrupt ransomware group Netwalker in January final 12 months.

The indictment fees the 34-year-old Canadian from Gatineau, Quebec, “with conspiracy to commit laptop fraud and wire fraud, intentional harm to a protected laptop, and transmitting a requirement in relation to damaging a protected laptop arising from his alleged participation in a classy type of ransomware often known as Netwalker.”

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division commented:

We will use all legally accessible avenues to pursue seizure and forfeiture of the alleged proceeds of ransomware, whether or not situated domestically or overseas.

“The division is not going to stop to pursue and seize cryptocurrency ransoms, thereby thwarting the makes an attempt of ransomware actors to evade regulation enforcement by the usage of digital forex,” he continued.

Canadian regulation enforcement officers arrested Vachon-Desjardins in Quebec on Jan. 27 final 12 months on the request of U.S. authorities, the DOJ stated Thursday, including that they proceeded to execute a search warrant at his dwelling.

According to the Justice Department:

During the search, officers found and seized 719 bitcoin, valued at roughly $28,151,582 as of right this moment’s date, and $790,000 in Canadian forex.

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