Ukrainian national Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a conspiracy involving the Conti ransomware group, which attacked more than 1,000 victims around the world and generated at least $150 million in ransom payments.
Lytvynenko, who previously lived in Cork, Ireland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 10. According to U.S. court documents, he worked with other members of the Conti operation to break into computer networks, steal sensitive data and use ransomware to extort victims.
Conti was used in attacks between 2020 and 2022 against organizations in 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 31 other countries. The FBI estimated that ransom payments linked to Conti had exceeded $150 million by January 2022.
Investigators said Lytvynenko personally targeted at least 12 companies. Evidence recovered from his online accounts showed that he had access to stolen information belonging to eight U.S. victims and four victims in other countries.
Lytvynenko also admitted that he joined a team operated by a Conti member, where he was assigned to help develop a malicious “loader.” Such malware is typically designed to load additional programs needed to carry out further attacks.
Investigators also found forensic evidence during his arrest in County Cork, Ireland, in July 2023 that indicated he remained involved in ransomware activity even after the Conti operation itself had ended.
U.S. officials said the case highlights the scale of damage caused by ransomware attacks, particularly against hospitals, schools, businesses, government agencies and other critical organizations.
“Cybercriminals who build, deploy, or profit from malware like Conti — no matter where they operate — will face justice and meaningful consequences in U.S. courts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from other U.S. agencies and Irish authorities. Lytvynenko was arrested in Ireland in July 2023 and later extradited to the United States.
In September 2023, U.S. authorities also unsealed an indictment against four other alleged Conti conspirators in the Middle District of Tennessee.
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The case was prosecuted by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Irish law enforcement agencies.
Ukrainian National Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Wire Fraud Conspiracy Linked to Conti Ransomware
