Russian Couple Accused of Ransomware Attacks Faces Decades in Prison

By Netvora Tech News

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The Belgian Public Prosecutor's Office has demanded prison sentences of up to 13 years against a Russian couple accused of carrying out a series of ransomware attacks. The man is charged with leading a criminal organization and refusing to provide his password, in addition to his alleged role in the attacks. According to the prosecution, the couple used the Crylock ransomware to target 400,000 victims and extort €3 million in ransom payments. The man is accused of being the leader of a criminal organization, and his laptop is believed to contain his cryptocurrency wallet. The couple was arrested in Spain in June 2023 and subsequently extradited to Belgium. During a search of their Spanish home, police seized 16 servers. The man is charged with refusing to provide his laptop password after his arrest, which is alleged to contain his cryptowallet. In addition to the prison sentences, the prosecution is seeking fines of €400,000 against the man and €250,000 against the woman. The woman is also facing a prison sentence of up to 10 years. The case is set to go to trial on June 26.