By The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday a series of coordinated actions targeting Russian money laundering operations, including charges against two Russian nationals and the seizure of websites associated with illicit cryptocurrency exchanges.
Sergey Ivanov, known online as “Taleon,” has been charged with conspiracy to commit and aid and abet bank fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Ivanov allegedly operated as a professional cyber money launderer for nearly two decades, providing services to cybercrime marketplaces, ransomware groups, and hackers responsible for major data breaches of U.S. companies.
Investigators claim Ivanov created and operated Russian payment and exchange services UAPS, PinPays, and PM2BTC, which conducted transactions totaling approximately $1.15 billion in cryptocurrency between July 2013 and August 2023. Approximately 32% of these transactions allegedly originated from addresses associated with criminal activity.
In the same indictment, Timur Shakhmametov, known as “JokerStash” and “Vega,” faces charges of conspiracy to commit and aid and abet bank fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Shakhmametov allegedly operated the carding website Joker’s Stash, which offered data from approximately 40 million payment cards annually.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated, “Today’s actions highlight the Department’s continued disruption of malicious cyber actors and their criminal ecosystem. The two Russian nationals charged today allegedly pocketed millions of dollars from prolific money laundering and fueled a network of cybercriminals around the world.”
In a separate action, the U.S. Secret Service seized domain names associated with the cryptocurrency exchange Cryptex.net. Court records indicate that Cryptex facilitated over 37,500 transactions involving bitcoin addresses, amounting to approximately $1.4 billion. About 31% of this amount, or $441 million, allegedly originated from cryptocurrency addresses linked to criminal conduct.
The operations involved collaboration with international partners, including Dutch authorities who seized servers hosting PM2BTC and Cryptex, recovering over $7 million in cryptocurrency.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia emphasized the relentless pursuit of cybercriminals, stating, “Every step cybercriminals take in their pursuit of money leaves another track that leads us to their doorstep.”
In coordination with these actions, the U.S. Department of State has issued reward offers totaling up to $11 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ivanov, Shakhmametov, and their associates. Additionally, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has identified PM2BTC as a “primary money laundering concern,” while the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Cryptex and Ivanov.
This multi-agency effort, involving domestic and international law enforcement partners, underscores the ongoing challenges in combating cybercrime and the increasing focus on disrupting the financial infrastructure supporting these illegal activities.
DOJ
