Polyanin was allegedly linked to the Sodinokibi ransomware attacks against companies and government entities in Texas and elsewhere. Law enforcement officials seized $6.1 million in ransom payments received by the Russian hacker, according to the Justice Department.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Merrick garland said, “Cybercrime is a serious threat to our country: to our personal safety, to the health of our economy, and to our national security. The United States, together with our allies, will do everything in our power to identify the perpetrators of ransomware attacks, to bring them to justice, and to recover the funds they have stolen from their victims.”
On the other hand, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said, “The arrest of Yaroslav Vasinskyi, the charges against Yevgeniy Polyanin and seizure of $6.1 million of his assets, and the arrests of two other Sodinokibi/REvil actors in Romania are the culmination of close collaboration with our international, U.S. government and especially our private sector partners.”