A Russian hacker was sentenced to 12 years in a U.S. prison Thursday for consumer data theft worth $19 million from 100 million customers of over a dozen financial service companies, the Justice Department said.
Andrei Tyurin, 37, pleaded guilty in 2019 after his extradition from the country of Georgia the previous year, admitting to computer intrusion, wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal online gambling offenses. The U.S. accused him of making criminal profits from financial sector hacks between 2007 and mid-2015.
“From his home in Moscow, Andrei Tyurin played a major role in orchestrating and facilitating an international hacking campaign,” Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement.
Tyurin’s targets included JPMorgan Chase, where he targeted more than 80 million customers, as well as E*Trade Financial Corp, Scottrade Inc and publisher of the Wall Street Journal News Corp’s Dow Jones.
U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain said his involvement in a “sprawling financial criminal enterprise” harvested the personal information of 138 million people, according to Reuters.
A Manhattan federal court found Tyurin guilty and sentenced him to 144 months in prison effective immediately. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 15 years while his lawyers requested leniency.
"I regret what I have done, but unfortunately I cannot turn back time," Reuters quoted Tyurin as saying in court through an interpreter. Tyurin also said in a letter to the judge that he had changed after a daughter he can no longer see was born four years ago, the Associated Press reported.
Tyurin’s lawyer wrote in court papers that he had only pocketed around $5 million, according to the AP. The Justice Department said Tyurin has been ordered to forfeit over $19 million, with a court hearing on his restitution obligations scheduled for April 6.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
