Leader of International Cybercrime Schemes Extradited to NJ from Poland

Belarussian National Faces Charges in New Jersey and Virginia for Leading Malvertising and Ransomware Operations

NEWARK, N.J. – Maksim Silnikau, a 38-year-old national of Belarus and Ukraine, made his initial appearance in Newark federal court today after being extradited from Poland. Silnikau is facing charges related to leading two international cybercrime schemes, according to court documents unsealed Monday, August 12, 2024.

“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe. To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising,’ to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Silnikau, also known by various online aliases including “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” is accused of orchestrating multi-year hacking and wire fraud schemes that targeted millions of unsuspecting internet users. These schemes included the transmission of the Angler Exploit Kit and other malware through malicious online advertisements, commonly referred to as “malvertising,” from October 2013 through March 2022

“As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, 33, both of whom are nationals of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, are charged in the District of New Jersey. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, they each face maximum sentences of up to 27 years for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years for computer fraud conspiracy, and 20 years for each count of wire fraud.

In a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is also charged with creating and administering the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain, a notorious ransomware operation that began in May 2021.

“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information."

“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information."

The charges allege that Silnikau and his associates used malvertising campaigns to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of internet users in the United States and worldwide. These campaigns often redirected users to malicious sites that either infected their devices with malware or defrauded them by stealing personal and financial information.

The group allegedly used the Angler Exploit Kit, a prominent tool for exploiting web-based vulnerabilities, and employed sophisticated methods to disguise the malicious nature of their advertisements. The conspirators are also accused of selling access to compromised devices and stolen information on Russian cybercrime forums.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office, with significant international cooperation from authorities in the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Poland.

Silnikau appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark, where he was detained pending further proceedings.

Note: An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.